


Sunrise Ranch

by Raikana



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Cowboys, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-24
Updated: 2015-04-30
Packaged: 2018-03-25 13:04:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 52,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3811570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raikana/pseuds/Raikana
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Matthew Williams is a farmhand who finds work on Alfred Jones' horse ranch, and ends up falling in love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. October 4, 1902

**Author's Note:**

> This AU is set in Montana in the Early Edwardian Period, near the US/Canadian border. All characters have human names because they are humans in this story. I wrote this years ago and I'm using it because I want something simple to post for my first story.

Matthew hitched his backpack higher onto his back as he stepped through the front gate of the Sunrise Ranch, looking past the fringe of hair in his eyes to find someone he could talk to. He heard a high-pitched whistle and he jogged towards it, shaking his hair out of his eyes for the hundredth time that day.

He finally found someone on the far side of a stand of trees, someone who was standing in a corral, leading a horse around on a rope. He walked up to the fence and leaned on it as he watched the young man jog beside the young bay, smiling and laughing as he moved. Matthew smiled a little just watching him until he had finished.

He watched the young blond unhook the lead and then turn to face him. Then he saw the blond notice him and started waving...until the gun suddenly appeared in the other man's hand. His smile froze on his face and he raised both hands shoulder high as the blond moved towards him suspiciously.

"Who are you?" he demanded, his aim with the gun never wavering. "What do you want?"

Matthew felt the blood drain from his face as he stared down the barrel of the hand gun. "I-I'm sorry, sir. Please. I...I just came to find a job."

The other man looked at him for a moment, then lowered the gun and grinned. He slipped it back into its holster and came forward with his arm out. "Why didn't you say so sooner? Jesus, man, you can't sneak up on a body like that. So what's your name?"

Matthew sighed as the gun disappeared again, then looked down at his feet. "I...you just looked busy, sir. I'm sorry." He pushed his glasses up on his nose absently.

The other blond stood just on the other side of the fence and tilted Matthew's head back up again. "None of that, now." He took Matthew's hand and gave it a firm shake. "My name's Alfred. Alfred Jones. You are...?"

Matthew looked at Alfred's bright blue eyes for a moment, then looked away again. "M-matthew Williams, sir. I came to find a...a job as a farmhand, sir."

Alfred put both hands on the fence and vaulted over it easily. "Come with me, Matt. I just have a few questions, but a horse field probably isn't the right place." He gave Matthew another bright smile as he walked back toward the house.

Matthew trotted along behind Alfred, trying to keep up with his long-legged stride. Alfred pushed open the wooden door with his hip and gestured Matthew into the kitchen. "Have a seat. Make yourself at home."

Matthew pulled out a chair as Alfred swung one around and straddled it. "So why do you want to work here, Matt?"

Matthew cleared his throat and sat on the edge of the chair, hands clasped between his knees. "Well, sir, I've just come down from Canada and I was looking for a job..."

Alfred crossed his arms over the back of his chair, gazing intently at Matthew. "So why did you pick farm work? There must have been other places to work between here and Canada. Lots of places."

"Yes, sir. It's just that I did some farm work back home, so I thought I could try to find the same thing, here. I just...I want to earn some money and...and get my feet under me." He crossed his legs at the ankles and looked down at them with pink cheeks.

"Sound like you're in some kind of trouble. You running away from something?" Alfred tilted his head to one side.

Matthew shook his head and looked over at the other man. "No, sir. I...I just don't get along with my...my brothers that well and I wanted...to start my own farm...someday."

Alfred grinned and reached over to clap the longer haired boy on the shoulder. "Good on you! Alright. I'll show you the ropes today and you can get started tomorrow. Okay?"

Matthew smiled timidly and nodded. "Thank you, sir."


	2. October 5, 1902

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matthew settles in on his first full day at the ranch and he makes himself useful

Matthew opened his eyes and blinked a few times as he heard the rooster crow outside. He took a moment to stretch before he sat up and reached for his pack. He slipped on his glasses first, so he could see, then he pulled out his second set of clothes and started dressing.

He finally slipped his boots on and walked out into the upstairs hall, looking around. "Al?" He headed downstairs, still looking for the outgoing young man. "Alfred? Sir?" When he didn't see the other man in the house, he shrugged and headed out to the barn to start on his chores.

After he took care of the chickens and cows, he brought the milk and eggs into the kitchen and set them on the wood table. He frowned and brushed his hair out of his face as he looked around again. "Alfred? Are you awake?" He listened to the silence for a moment before he spoke up again. "I'll just make breakfast, now, then... If that's okay with you. Just say something if it's not."

The quiet man grinned when he didn't hear a response and moved around the kitchen purposefully, pulling out flour, sugar, and other ingredients, smiling and humming to himself. He crouched down and started a fire in the stove with the nearby flint. He left the stove to warm up, grabbed a bowl from the cupboard, setting it on the table with the ingredients, still smiling to himself.

* * *

Alfred woke up with a groan and rolled over, pulling his blankets closer around him. Then he frowned, sniffed the air, and sat up. "...what's that?" he asked himself, grabbing his clothes from the day before and slipping into them. He put his glasses on as he stood up and walked downstairs in his stocking feet. He was still buttoning his shirt as he walked into the kitchen. "...Matt?"

Matthew looked up at Alfred with his violet eyes. "Yes, sir?"

"...what is this?" He looked at the table setting with a confused look on his face. He sat on one of the chairs, reaching for one of the serving platters.

"Breakfast. There's pancakes, boiled eggs, some fried potatoes, some of the cured ham from the cellar and...and some coffee. I hope that's alright?" He looked up to see Alfred trying to eat off the serving plate and reached over to slap his hand. "Use your plate to eat off of."

Alfred looked over at Matthew and raised his eyebrow. Matthew drew his hand back and flushed brightly. "I'm sorry, sir. I shouldn't have hit you. I'm sorry." He shrank back in his chair, suddenly looking inches shorter.

Alfred smiled over at him. "It's okay. You're right. I'm just used to only cooking for myself." He spooned some food out onto his plate and started shoveling it into his mouth as fast as he could swallow.

Matthew watched him eat, wanting to say something about his eating habits, but he decided he had embarrassed himself enough as it was. "I...um...is there something you want me to do, sir?"

Alfred stopped eating for a moment to think. "Well, the chickens probably need feeding. And the cow. And milking, too. Oh, yeah, and the eggs from today."

Matthew shook his head. "I already did that, sir. Before breakfast."

Alfred just gave Matthew a look of uncomprehending shock. "How early did you get up to do all that?"

Matthew shrugged. "Whenever the rooster crowed, sir."

Alfred's face didn't even twitch. "Why in God's name were you up that early? Mornings are for barbarian savages."

"That...that's what time we always got up at home, sir. To take care of the livestock before it was time for breakfast. Then we would work in the fields after breakfast." Matthew stood up and carried his plate over to the sink, setting it inside for later.

Alfred just kept staring at Matthew. "Are you going to do this every day?"

"Probably, sir. Unless you don't want me to." Matthew turned to look back at Alfred, his hands clutched in front of himself.

Alfred shook his head. "No...that's okay. I guess you can come help me muck out the stalls and groom the horses. You'll have to learn anyways, so this is as good a time as any." He grinned at Matthew. "Good work, Matt."

Matthew smiled with a slight blush on his cheeks and turned away. "Please put your dishes in the sink when you're done, sir."

* * *

Alfred stood in the stall next to his prize Palomino as Matthew leaned on the stall door and watched intently. "So first you'll want to put the bridle on. Which means you have to get the mouth open, first."

Matthew nodded intently. "Sometimes, if a horse is well trained and you make the bit as pleasant as you can, they won't fight you. Otherwise, you put your fingers here and here and press and...there! Slip it in before they can close their mouth." Matthew smiled to himself as he watched Alfred concentrate on his task wholeheartedly.

"Then, that's the hardest part done. Now you just slip the noseband on, put these two on either side of the ears, then reach under and buckle it. And that's the bridle on. The saddle is a piece of cake compared to that." Alfred smiled and gently patted the stallion's cheek. "Not that he'll put up too much of a fight. All the other horses are either pregnant or gelded. So he has nothing to get worked up over, do you?"

Alfred walked over close to Matthew, his blue eyes shining with enthusiasm as he grabbed the blanket off the wall. "So first you have to put the blanket on, so he doesn't get blisters from the saddle. Then, the saddle will end up here..." He set the blanket down on the horse's back for a moment. "But you want to move it up a few inches to here, so you can slide it into place. And the fur won't bunch up all weird." He repositioned the blanket and moved close to Matthew again to heft the saddle in both hands.

Matthew just stared at the older blond as he moved back and forth, hypnotized by the movement of his muscles. "Then you put the saddle up on top of the blanket, make sure nothing's caught underneath the saddle, then you slide both of them back into place, but not too far back. Otherwise, you have to pick them up to move them forward again. And...they stop just there. This is where you have to be careful. You bend down, reach under the stomach, grab the far strap, and pull it through the buckle."

Matthew leaned farther over the wooden wall, trying to somehow see through the horse's body. "You pull the strap tight so it's snug around the chest, but not tight enough to pinch. Then you'll want to test it. The saddle shouldn't be able to move at all, really." Alfred jiggled the saddle, then nodded in satisfaction. "And that's really all there is to it. Think you could saddle up the Geldings for me? I have to take this stud out and burn off some energy."

Matthew nodded as Alfred grinned at him again. "Of course, sir. Should I just leave them in their stalls?"

Alfred shook his head. "Nah. You can bring them outside, just tie the reins up to the fence so they can't run off. I'll take them around once I get Goldie brushed off and put away." Alfred grabbed the Palomino's reins, moving toward the stall door, as Matthew automatically moved out of his way. He led the stallion into the area between the stalls and mounted up, sitting tall in the saddle. "Then you can put the hackamore on the mares and lead them around the pasture for a while. They need the exercise, but I shouldn't be riding them now."

Matthew nodded, turning away to get another saddle. Then he stopped and looked up at Alfred's back. "Sir?"

Alfred turned in the saddle to look at the smaller boy. "What?"

"What's a hackamore, sir?"

Alfred laughed. "Right. I forgot. It's with the bridles, but its the one without the bit. There was someone I knew that said I should try one, but I mostly use it for the pregnant mares, to lead them around on. I don't think anything short of steel could control this beast here, when he gets in one of his moods." He reached down to pat the horse's neck, earning an impatient snort.

Matthew nodded again. "Yes, sir. Thank you for the help, sir."

Alfred turned back around and urged the horse out the door and into the pasture. Matthew smiled as he watched, then shook his head and went to get the saddle, unable to stop smiling.

Matthew led the Geldings outside one by one as he finished saddling them, and tied the ends of their reins to the top rung of the wood fence. Then he leaned on the fence once he had tied up the last horse, and watched Alfred ride his horse around the large enclosure.

He watched the older man move the horse through its paces, smoothly moving up and down to keep steady while the horse swayed below him. The breeze blew his short, blond hair back off his face while the sunlight reflected off his glasses. Then he leaned low over the horse's neck and urged it to move faster, rising out of the saddle a few inches.

Matthew smiled again as Alfred tilted his head back, laughing loudly and shouting encouragements to his horse. Then he suddenly felt uncomfortable and looked down at his body, his face turning pink. However, when he looked back at Alfred, he couldn't tear his eyes from the other man. It was only when Alfred rode his Palomino back into the barn that Matthew managed to get away.

He ran straight for the small copse of trees near the corral and he stopped in the middle of it, panting. Then he bit his lip and looked down at the bulge in his jeans, his face getting redder. He quickly looked around to made sure Alfred couldn't see, then stood in front of a tree with his legs spread, opened the fly on his pants, and unbuttoned his union suit just enough to free his erection.

He bit his lip as he wrapped a hand around it, but a soft moan still escaped as he stroked himself quickly, trying to finish before Alfred noticed he was missing. Matthew moaned again as his mind conjured up images of Alfred riding his horse, smiling at Matthew, with his shirt open in the kitchen. Matthew cried out softly as he spilled his seed on the grass, then he took a deep breath as he stood up straight, willing his knees not to shake.

He had just tucked himself back into his union suit and buttoned it up again when he heard feet crashing through the dead leaves and underbrush. Alfred came to a stop right in front of him. "Matt! There you are! I was worried! Why did you run off like that?"

Matthew flushed in embarrassment and looked down at the dirty grass. "I...I just had to answer Mother Nature's call, sir. I'm sorry to have worried you."

Alfred just clapped the younger man on the shoulder. "That's okay! It happens to the best of us. You just disappeared while I was putting Goldie away, so I thought maybe something bad had happened."

Matthew cleared his throat as he did his fly back up. "Thank you for your concern, sir."

Al shoved his hands into his pockets and turned to walk out. "Now that I'm here, we can walk back together. Then I'll show you which one the hackamore is."

Matthew ducked his head to hide his blush behind his bangs. "Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."


	3. October 14, 1902

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matthew gets to know Alfred better.

Matthew held onto the reins to the hackamore as he led the mare around the edge of the field, but he kept his eyes glued to Alfred as he rode the bay gelding. He couldn't keep the smile off his face as he watched, but at least he had managed to control his body since that first day. More or less. At least his body usually waited until he was alone before releasing everything it had been storing up.

He watched Alfred ride back into the stable before he realized that he had stopped moving. He shook his head and started moving again before the mare could dig in for an afternoon snack. She resisted him for a moment, but then followed along behind him obediently. Matthew looked back at her to distract himself from his thoughts of Alfred. "I know you think you need food, now, but there's food waiting back in your stall, girl."

Matthew jumped as he turned back around, suddenly face to face with Alfred. He panted for a moment, his eyes wide as he tried to catch his breath. "Sir! What-- Can I help you, sir?" He still held the lead rope, but the mare looked up, walked around him, and started sniffing Alfred's hair.

Alfred reached up to gently stroke the mare's nose before he moved next to Matthew, putting his arm around the younger man's shoulder. "Matt, I've been watching you and I've seen how you watch me when I'm out working the horses..."

Matthew tensed up immediately, worried that Alfred had seen one of his "calls from Mother Nature". Instead, he looked up into Alfred's bright blue eyes. "Y-yes, sir?"

"Well, I'll just get right to the point. Would you like to come out riding with me? We could exercise both the geldings at once and then take the mares out two at a time. You just looked like you wanted to ride." Alfred turned to look over at Matthew. "So what do you say?"

Matthew smiled and relaxed again. "I would like that, sir. Thank you, sir. I'll try not to disappoint you."

Alfred raised his eyebrow at the younger man. "And you don't need to keep calling me Sir all the time. My name is Al. Everyone calls me that."

Matthew nodded and started walking again. "Yes, sir. I'll try to remember."

Alfred sighed and walked next to Matthew. "So you said that you came from a farm and you know all this stuff about chickens and cows, but you didn't even know how to groom a horse? How did that even happen?"

"W-well, sir, we did not have many horses. Only two. And...and Francis was the one in charge of them, sir. Not me." He slipped back to stand by the mare's shoulder. "But I think I like taking care of them, sir. Very much." He looked up and down Alfred's body from behind. "What about you, sir? You don't sound like the other townspeople. Are you from here?"

Alfred shook his head a little. "Nah. I was born out east. Back around New York. Then my parents decided they wanted more room, so they moved west to be farmers. I was maybe fifteen when they decided that. So then I left when I could and I started up my own farm." Al shrugged a little. "That's about it. I've been surviving out here, but that's about it. At least it's fun." He flashed a white grin at Matthew. "Just get her put away and come out to the fence."

Matthew nodded as he led the mare back to her stall. He brushed her down quickly, fastened the full blanket over her body, and walked back outside. He found Alfred standing next to the second gelding, holding the reins in one hand. Alfred smiled at him. "Matt, I'd like you to meet Snowball. I know you already met him, but I don't think you knew his name."

Matthew reached out and gently stroked the dappled gray neck. "Nice to meet you, Snowy."

Alfred laughed loudly, startling Matthew, who turned to look at him. "W-what is it, sir?"

Alfred shook his head, still laughing. "N-nothing. It's just...what kind of stupid name is Snowy?"

Matthew frowned in confusion. "Isn't that his nickname, sir?"

Alfred shook his head again and clapped the horse on the shoulder. "His name is Ballsy."

Matthew just blinked at the older man. "...Ballsy?"

Alfred grinned. "Yep."

"...why?"

Alfred flushed a little bit, but kept grinning. "Well, he was my first horse and I had just cut his balls off. I thought it would be a funny nickname." Matthew just sighed and rolled his eyes. "Anyways, let's get you mounted up. Do you know how to ride?"

Matthew nodded. "A little bit, sir. The horses were mostly for working, but we still got to ride them sometimes."

Alfred stood in front of the horse's head, stroking his nose. "Then go ahead and mount up. Or do you need help?"

Matthew shook his head. "No, sir, I think I've got it." He stood next to the horse, put his foot in the stirrup, then hauled himself up with both arms, swung his second leg over, and settled into the saddle.

Alfred handed the reins up to Matthew with a smile. "Be careful, but make sure he gets a good workout. I'll take the mares out today."

Matthew smiled back as he took the reins. "Thank you, sir. I'll try not to hurt either of us."

Alfred patted Snowball on the shoulder one last time before he walked back into the barn.


	4. October 18, 1902

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matthew tackles Alfred's dirty laundry.

Matthew looked up from his breakfast, over at Alfred. "Sir?"

Alfred looked back. "You don't really need to call me that, Matt. What is it?"

Matthew looked away for a moment. "I...do you have a large washbasin, sir?"

The American blinked at him, then frowned a little bit. "I think I have the one I use for soaking in... Why?"

"Do you think I could use it, sir? I...I wanted to wash my clothes and...well, I thought maybe I could do yours, too. If you wanted, sir." Matthew looked down at his plate and pushed the food around as he spoke.

Alfred reached over and tilted the younger man's head up, just to smile at him. "Of course you can use it, Matt. Stop being so nervous all the time. It's not like I'm going to bite." He pulled his hand back and turned to the breakfast again. "So did you need any help?"

Matthew shook his head a little. "No, sir. I don't think so. Unless you wanted to string up something to hang the clothes from. To dry. If you don't mind, sir."

"No, Matt, I don't mind. I live on a ranch, not in a townhouse with servants." He rolled his eyes. "I'll string up some twine after breakfast and go take care of the horses."

The Canadian flushed and clapped his hands over his mouth. "I'm sorry! I forgot about the horses, sir. I...I'll just do laundry some other day..."

Alfred gave the younger man a flat look. "Matt, we're on a horse ranch. There is no Other Day. The horses need to be taken out every day."

"I know, but I can't ask you to do it alone, sir..."

He continued to stare at Matthew, holding his violet eyes captive. "I was doing it alone for years, Matt. You've only been here for two weeks. I think I can still handle things on my own."

"But then I won't be doing my job..."

"I'm the one who decides what your job is, Matt. Your job today can be laundry. That will be more than enough work for one day. Believe me." Alfred then grinned at him briefly and went back to eating.

"...what does that mean, sir?" Matthew raised his eyebrow at the older man, but Alfred remained stubbornly silent through the end of the meal.

As Matthew was busy scraping off the dishes, he caught movement coming from the stairs and the turned to look, only to see Alfred carrying down a person-sized metal tub, filled to overflowing with jeans, shirts, union suits, and socks. He smiled as he stopped next to Matthew. "Where do you want this? I still have a few more things upstairs, too."

Matthew dropped a tin serving plate when he saw the sheer number of clothes in the tub. "I...I... Out by the fire pit, I suppose. Sir. I'll...I'll be out as soon as I finish this, sir."

Alfred nodded and somehow managed to maneuver both himself and the tub through the kitchen door and into the yard. Then he came back through the door a few moments later and jogged up the stairs again.

Matthew finished with the dishes and piled them with the ones from yesterday, to be scrubbed clean later. Then he went over to Alfred's fire pit, starting a fire inside of it before placing the metal grille over the top of it. He dumped the dirty clothes out into a pile on the ground and set the tub over the fire pit, before he rolled up his sleeves and went to the well to draw the water.

He had the tub half full and already simmering before Alfred walked out the door again, hidden behind the pile of laundry in his arms. Matthew poured the last bucket of water into the tub and just watched Alfred drop the pile with the rest. "Where have you been hiding these? I think I've only seen you wear five outfits..."

Alfred shrugged. "They were just sitting in my room. I never really get around to washing them, so I figured now would be a good time." He gave Matthew a sheepish grin.

Matthew sighed and covered his face with one hand. "Alright. Fine. But can you go get the small tub from the sink and fill it up with water? This might take longer than I thought."

He went up to his room to quickly grab his spare outfit, bringing it down and dumping it in the warm water. Then he dumped in some of Alfred's clothes and prodded them around with a stick, to at least make sure they wouldn't run off. Then he looked at at the older man as he came out of the house, carrying the smaller tub. "Do you have a washboard, sir?"

Alfred shook his head. "I always used river rocks."

Matthew nodded. "Alright. I'll be back soon." He turned and walked off in the direction of the river. Alfred set the small tub down on the ground near the larger one, and went to fetch water for it. He poured in the last bucketful as he caught sight of Matthew coming back, carrying two large, flat rocks.

Matthew set them down and immediately headed into the house, looking more confident than Alfred had ever seen him looking. He smiled a little bit, grabbed the roll of twine and started tying up clotheslines for later. Matthew came back out, holding a dusty box full of lye flakes, then and stopped to sprinkle some into the laundry water.

Alfred tied up the last clothesline, then gave the younger man a sideways look before he sidled off to take care of his horses.

* * *

Alfred closed the stable doors behind himself and walked back across the yard towards the cloud of steam around his fire pit. He waved his hands in front of him as he walked into it, trying to keep his glasses from fogging up. He found Matthew at the heart of the cloud and smiled over at him. "Hey, Matt! How's it going?"

Matthew pushed his damp hair off his forehead again, pushed his glasses back up his nose, and glowered at the older man. "Just fine, sir. I think I've just managed to finish your clothes from the last two weeks. Only another two and a half months to go, sir."

Alfred clasped his hands together in front of him, still smiling. "Anything I can do to help?"

"Well, sir, you could try doing your laundry more than four times a year. Even your dress clothes had dirt and grass stains on them." Matthew looked back down and gave the clothes in the tub and vicious jab, then he pulled one up on the end of the stick, wrung it out, and started scrubbing it against the river stone.

"Yeah, but I never use it for anything fancy and I needed some clean clothes in a hurry..."

Matthew dipped the shirt into the small tub, swirled it around to get the rest of the dirt and lye out, then he wrung it out and held it out to Alfred. "Please hang this up, sir. And refill the rinse tub, if it's not too much trouble." Matthew gave him another piercing look, then turned back to the laundry tub and jabbed at the water with his stick again.

Alfred walked out of the cloud and hung the shirt next to the other shirts, then headed to the well to draw clean water. As he worked, he tried to think of ways that he could cheer up the younger man. Then he replayed the last few minutes in his head and realized that Matthew was still wearing all his clothes, standing next to a large tub of steaming water. Something like that would make anyone cranky after all. Then he realized that he should also strip down to his skivvies, to keep the boy from being too embarrassed. Maybe once he saw the older man wearing something cooler, he would follow suit.

He grinned as he walked back, carrying the bucket of well water. He set down the bucket, emptied out the tub, and then poured the fresh water into it. Then he straightened up and fanned his face with one hand. "Man. It sure is hot in here, huh?"

Matthew looked up at him and shrugged. "I suppose so, sir. This is a laundry tub after all."

Alfred started unbuttoning his shirt, then looked up at Matthew. "Do you mind if I throw this in with the rest, Matt?"

"Do what you like, sir." Then Matthew looked up to see what he would be washing next, and saw Alfred drop his shirt on the pile. Then he blushed as he watched Alfred unbuckle his belt, unable to tear his eyes away as the jeans followed the shirt.

Then Alfred looked up at him and tilted his head to one side. "Why don't you take yours off, too, Matt? You look like a lobster."

Matthew blushed and shook his head even harder "T-that's alright, sir. I'm...I'm fine. I...just...I...do not think it is...appropriate...in front of...you, sir."

Alfred shrugged, then wiped his forehead with the sleeve of his union suit. "I don't know how you can stand this heat..." Then he unbuttoned the first few buttons on his suit, grabbed the bucket and walked off again.

Matthew squirmed in place for a moment, then glared down at his body. "Don't you even dare. I don't need you acting up while I'm busy doing laundry..." He then lifted one of Alfred's union suits and started scrubbing it, trying to concentrate on the stains, instead of of images of Alfred's body. But then Alfred walked back into view, carrying the water bucket, his face and chest shining with sweat.

He poured the water into the tub again and straightened up, arching his back with a grimace on his face. "Seriously, Matt, how do you want this? It's like a sauna in here..." Then he unbuttoned his union suit to the waist and slipped it off his arms to dangle from his hips.

Matthew stopped in mid-scrub, looking up at the other man. He felt his face turn bright red as his groin gave a very definite stir. Alfred crouched down next to him. "Are you sure you're okay? You look awful red. Do you have a fever?"

Matthew shook his head dumbly, then he got up, suddenly feeling awkward. "I...I have to...to use the outhouse! I'll be back soon!" Then he ran off out of the cloud, face still burning. He stopped long enough to get his bearings, then ran for the outhouse, slamming the door behind himself.

He plugged his nose with one hand and fumbled his pants and suit open with the other. Then he closed his eyes tight as he stroked himself hard and fast, trying to finish as soon as he could, so Alfred wouldn't come looking for him again. He whimpered softly as he remembered the older man standing in front of him with his chest bare, his hand moving faster and squeezing tighter. Then he released his seed on the wooden seat with a soft cry.

He bit his lip, still blushing, as he looked down at his mess. He swiped his sleeve over it to spread it out before he put himself back together and walked back to the laundry tub, taking off his shirt as he walked so that he could wash it. By the time he got back, he found Alfred had tied the sleeves of his union suit around his waist to keep it up, and was scrubbing the suit Matthew had left behind.

"Y-you don't have to do that, sir. I just had to leave for a moment..."

Alfred shrugged. "I don't mind. Besides, you looked feverish, so I thought maybe we should switch jobs. I'll stay here and wash and you can go hang them up. See?" He held up the union suit.

Matthew looked at the stains still on it, grabbed it away from Alfred, and started scrubbing again. "That's alright. I'll do this the right way. You can just go back to...doing what you were before. Sir."

Alfred grinned sheepishly and stood up. "It's that bad, huh?"

Matthew nodded. "No offense, sir, but I can tell you've never really done laundry."

Alfred grabbed the bucket and walked off again, his arm and chest muscles rippling under his tanned skin as he walked out of sight.


	5. October 27, 1902

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matthew goes riding with Alfred and his horse panics.

Alfred walked side by side with Matthew as they led the last two mares around the corral. He glanced over at the forest on the edge of his lands, then up at the sun, still high in the sky. Then he smiled as he looked back down at Matthew, his gold hair shining under the sun. "Hey, Matt."

Matthew looked over at Alfred, his hair falling in his face, and he automatically reached up to push it back. "Yes, sir?"

Alfred looked back up at the sky again, shading his eyes with one hand. "It's a pretty nice day today. How would you like to go take a ride into the woods? Take a look at the trees before the leaves all fall off? I know there's still another month before that happens, but we'll be pretty busy soon, getting ready for winter."

Matthew smiled over at the older man, his hand idly reaching up to stroke the mare's cheek. "That sounds wonderful, sir. I look forward to it."

Alfred turned the corner, pulling his mare along with him. "Good. Once we get these ladies put away, we'll saddle up and head out. Would you rather have Bee or Ballsy to ride?"

Matthew pulled up even with Alfred again. "I...I suppose Bee, sir. His name sounds more...fit for mixed company."

Alfred reached over the clap the younger man on the back. "We're not mixed company, Matt. We're both men. You need to loosen up some more."

Matthew ducked his head in deference and continued walking beside Alfred until they reached the stables. He smiled at Alfred once more before he walked the horse back into her stall, took off the hackamore, brushed her down quickly, and then threw a blanket over her. He stroked her nose gently, the turned and walked out to get Bee's tack, pushing the stall door shut with his foot.

He saw Alfred already carrying Goldie's saddle up on one shoulder and his bridle hanging from the saddle horn. He walked past Alfred in the narrow hallway, trying not to brush up against him, though he was unable to completely avoid it. He felt the shiver run through his body as he picked up a second set of tack, then he quickly ducked into Bee's stall to get him ready for the ride.

* * *

Matthew sat in his saddle, looking around at the trees as he automatically moved with Bee, his hips swaying to keep him upright instead of bounced back and forth. Then he looked down to see that Alfred had pulled ahead again, his horse moving at an easy trot.

He nudged the bay with his heels, moving up and down with him as he moved into a trot. He drew up alongside Alfred and smiled over at him. "You won't get rid of me that easily, sir."

Alfred smiled back, his hair moving in time with his horse's gait. "I wasn't trying to get rid of you, Matt. Goldie just had some extra energy still. Didn't you, boy?" He reached down to pat the golden neck, earning a snort from the stallion.

Matt looked down at Goldie for a moment, then back up at Alfred. "Sir, if you don't mind me asking..."

"Go ahead, Matt."

"Why is your stallion called Goldie, sir? It seems like a rather...feminine name. For a stallion."

Alfred laughed and patted the stallion's neck again. "Goldie is just his nickname, though. His real name is Goldhawk Charger. Because he can run really fast. Just like a hawk."

Matthew cleared his throat. "Umm...sir...hawks don't run. They fly."

Alfred smiled over at the younger boy. "I know that, but it just sounded good. Besides, he can fly. Like the wind."

"The wind blows, though, sir." Matthew kept his face straight, but just barely.

Alfred waggled his gloved finger at Matthew. "Are you trying to have me on, boy? I'm telling you now it won't--"

Alfred stopped suddenly as he saw Bee skitter back a few steps, his eyes wide. Then he grabbed his reins and pulled back on them hard as he heard the bay scream and take off through the woods at a dead run. He held Goldie in place until he stopped prancing, then he dug his heels into the horse's sides and sent him off after the gelding.

Matthew tried pulling back on his reins, but his horse refused to heed the commands as he tore through the forest, branches whipping against Matthew's legs, arms, and face. Then he bent low over Bee's neck, grabbing handfuls of mane to keep himself steady as he tried to stay in the saddle.

Alfred rode Goldie as fast as he could, trying to catch up with Matthew and his runaway horse. He knew he was getting close when he started catching glimpses of dark brown through the green, gold, and red foliage surrounding him. He looked at the rest of the forest and realized that they were nearing a small blind canyon. He steered his horse to the other side of Matthew, then took one hand off the reins to let out a wolf cry.

He looked back down and saw the bay move away from him, then bent low over Goldie's neck and urged him forward again, ignoring the branches that struck him as he passed. He saw the dark stone walls rising up on either side of him, angling in towards each other. He let out another howl as he pounded up behind Matthew, moving from side to side to keep the bay moving straight into the canyon.

Matthew squeezed his eyes shut and held onto his horse's neck for dear life as he heard a wolf cry out behind them. He risked a quick look back over his shoulder, hoping to see Alfred riding up beside him. Instead, he just saw the trees moving past in a blur. He briefly saw a dark rock wall rising from the ground to his side, but then he closed his eyes again and tried not to think about dying.

Alfred smiled as he got the gelding running straight into the canyon. He slowed to a gallop as he rode in after the bay, waiting for the walls to close in far enough so that he could block the exit. He rode up between two outcrops of rock that angled up and away to either side and stopped right between then, turning Goldie so that he blocked off the only obvious exit. He sat and waited as he heard Bee cry out again, shifting in his saddle to face the inside of the canyon.

Matthew whimpered as his horse slowed and he saw dark cliffs surrounding them on all three sides. With a wolf on their tail, this made them a pair of sitting ducks. Then he cried out and clutched Bee's mane again as he reared up and pivoted on his rear hooves to face the way he had come. Then his horse started galloping back the way they had come, carrying Matthew like so much luggage.

Alfred craned his neck as he heard the pounding hooves come closer. He pulled tight on Goldie's reins to keep him from bolting as Bee galloped up to them, Matthew hunched over on his back. He gave the gelding a stern look as it approached. Then he watched as the bay reared up again, his eyes still showing white around the edges. However, when he came down this time, he just danced back nervously.

Alfred took that as his cue. He moved Goldie over to Bee at a slow walk, being careful not to startle the bay again. He leaned out of his saddle and took the reins from Matthew's numb fingers. Once he had Bee's reins in hand he held them tight to keep the bay from running off again. He looked over at Matthew and raised his voice in a bark. "Matt! Get your shirt off and put it over his eyes."

Matthew sat up as he heard Alfred's voice and looked at him dully as he pulled his shirt off with shaking fingers. He gently leaned forward and draped the shirt over Bee's wide eyes, tying a knot in the back.

Alfred dropped Goldie's reins to the ground and slipped from the saddle, moving closer to Bee, holding the reins just under his jaw. "Okay, Matt. Now dismount. I have to take him off somewhere and calm him down. If you would please just tie Goldie up somewhere so he won't escape. And make sure he can reach the grass."

Matthew slid off of Bee's saddle and landed on shaky legs. His legs soon gave way under him and he fell down onto the grass. Then he took a deep, shuddering breath and stood up once more. He grabed Goldie's reins and quickly tied them to a sturdy bush so that the stallion could pick at the grass around him. Then Matthew sat down on the ground again, in little more than a controlled fall, and he watched Alfred comforting the spooked bay.

He smiled wanly as he watched Alfred whisper to Bee, stroke his neck and cheek, press his face to the gelding's fuzzy face. Then he felt a familiar pang in his stomach as he imagined the older blonde doing the same things to him. However, the pang was not accompanied by the equally familiar stirring in his groin this time. He looked down at himself and found that his erection was not stirring because it had already been well stirred by something else, though he couldn't imagine what.

He blushed and tried to hide his arousal by crossing his legs as Alfred walked over, now leading a calm Bee by the reins. He watched Alfred tie Bee to the same bush as Goldie, then give both horses a quick check up. Matthew found out, though, that crossing his legs did not hide his erection quite as well sitting as it did when he was standing. He blushed hotly as Alfred sat down next to him, looking over at him with serious blue eyes.

"Are you alright, Matt? Obviously you didn't fall off and that's good, but did you get any broken bones or anything?" Alfred reached his hand over and started patting the younger man's arms and chest.

Matthew shook his head, still blushing bright red. "N-no, sir. I...I think I just have some...some cuts and scrapes, sir." He bit his lip and hoped that Alfred would not notice the bulge in his pants. However, luck was not on his side.

Alfred gently clapped him on the shoulder, smiling just a little. "And don't worry about that, Matt. That just happens when you get in a tough spot like this. I call it a stress boner. It only pops up when you're in some kind of stressful situation. I'll just..." Alfred coughed into his hand. "I'll just go off and let you deal with that, okay? You won't be able to ride back until you do."

Matthew turned an even brighter shade of red, if possible, and he nodded. "T-thank you, sir..." He smiled nervously as Alfred stood up, walking off into the scrub. He bit his lip to keep from making any noises, though, as he caught sight of the bulge in Alfred's pants, too. Then he worked quickly, his hands still shaking as he came down from his adrenaline rush.

Matthew quickly unzipped his pants, unbuttoned his suit, and pulled out his erection, already turning red and leaking clear liquid. He bit down on his lip hard to keep from making noise as he imagined Alfred standing in the bushes, engaging in the same activities. He shook and cried out softly as he spilled his seed over the front of his union suit, still panting as he tucked himself back into his pants. When Alfred walked back over, Matthew stood up and he could swear that the American's cheeks were pinker than they were when he left, and that his breathing was more ragged.

However, Alfred tossed Matthew his shirt and gently stroked the horses' necks, making sure they were both calm before he untied them. Matthew slipped his shirt back on, glad that it would hide the stains on his stomach, and he quickly tucked it down into his jeans.

Alfred looked at Matthew and nodded. "Are you ready to get back up in the saddle again? We need to get these guys home and give them a good brushing and a warm mash. Otherwise, they'll get sick and I don't want that."

Matthew nodded. "Yes, sir. I...I think I can handle him again, sir." He took the reins from Alfred and mounted up again, gingerly settling into the saddle.

Alfred mounted his own horse and smiled a bit at Matthew. "Alright. We need to get back, but we don't want to tire them out anymore than we have to. So just keep at a trot." He dug his heels into Goldie's side and rode off out of the canyon at a trot. Matthew held onto his reins until his knuckles turned white, but he still urged Bee into a trot and followed Alfred home.


	6. October 29, 1902

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matthew takes some time alone at night.

Matthew finished scrubbing the last of the dishes and he set the plate to dry on the counter as he dumped the dishwater out the window. He carefully banked the fire in the stove and headed upstairs to hid bedroom. He stopped outside Alfred's room, looking for any signs that he was still awake inside.

He smiled when he saw that there were no lights shining from under the door, then continued on to his own room, locking his door behind him. He slowly took off his shirt, and then his pants, folding them over the back of his chair. He felt the familiar stirring between his legs at the thought of what he was about to do.

He flushed in embarrassment, but he reminded himself that the other man was asleep, and couldn't walk in on him this time. He sat down on his bed, biting his lip as he slipped his hand down to rub the bulge in his union suit. He shook his head and slipped beneath his covers, rolling his head to one side, trying to bury it in his pillow.

He freed himself with one hand as he drew his leg up to hold the quilt away from his body. Then he moaned softly as he wrapped one hand around himself, stroking gently. He bit his lip as he tossed his head back and forth on the pillow, trying to keep quiet so that he wouldn't wake Alfred. But moans still escaped his lips as he thrust up into his hand, seeking release.

Alfred moaned into his pillow, biting down harder on the corner as he swiped the pad of his thumb over his head. He held as still as he could, teasing himself without letting himself release. He strained his ears and heard a moan from the next room over, his mind filling in the images of the younger man half-naked in bed. But he frowned as the moans and cries got louder, worried that something might actually be wrong. He released his pillow and climbed out of the warm bed, shivering as he walked barefoot to the door and opened it, heading down the hall.

Matthew whimpered and whined as he worked his fingers up and down his shaft lightly, teasingly. He arched his back and thrust upwards, his body seeking purchase but not finding any. Then he heard a knock on his door and he immediately dropped to the bed, his hands freezing mid-stroke.

Alfred knocked on the door again. "Matt? Are you okay in there?"

Matthew felt his cheeks heat up as he laid in bed, then he quietly cleared his throat. "I...I...um...I'm f-fine...sir..."

Alfred pressed both hands and one ear against the wooden door. "Are you sure? You're not sick or anything, are you?"

Matthew tried to get his breathing under control as he laid in bed, his erection twitching eagerly in his hands. "I...no, sir. I...I was just...just having a bit of a s-strange dream...sir..."

Alfred nodded and pushed away from the door, gently running his hand down it. "Okay, Matt. But if you need something, feel free to come wake me up, okay?"

Matthew bit his lip as he squeezed his hands tighter. "A-Okay, sir. T-thank you. I...I will, sir."

Alfred walked back into his room and shut the door behind him, then climbed back into his bed, on his hands and knees, biting down on his pillow again to keep quiet.

Matthew waited until he heard Alfred's door shut before he gripped himself tightly and started desperately stroking up and down, just wanting to release before he disturbed the older man again. Just a few minutes later, he cried out and clamped one hand over his head as he spilled his seed. He pulled his hand away and looked at it in the dark for a moment, unable to see anything, but feeling the sticky, slippery mess on it.

He walked over to his washstand by memory and poured some of the cold water into the metal basin. He rinsed his hands, then used some of the water to rinse between his legs. He blushed bright pink again as he dumped the dirty water out the window, hoping it was diluted enough that Alfred would not notice later.

He finally put the washstand back to rights and climbed in bed once more, this time falling asleep shortly after he pulled the quilt tight around his ears. On the other side of the wall, though, Alfred still stroked himself, his fingers growing slick as he imagined the younger man touching himself.


	7. November 1, 1902

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matthew and Alfred attend church in the nearest town and meet the townspeople.

Matthew heard the rooster crow and he opened his eyes and sat up in bed, not allowing himself the luxury of waking up slowly. He dressed himself quickly and strode out into the hall, stopping in front of Alfred's door. He knocked on it briskly. "Sir! It's time to get up, sir!"

He heard the other man mumble and groan, but nothing else, so he knocked on the door again, harder this time. "Sir! You have to get up, now! You have chores to do before we leave, sir!" He heard the grumbling getting closer and stepped back as the door swung open to reveal Alfred in just his union suit, shoving hair off his face with one hand.

The larger man squinted and leaned close to get a good look at Matthew, then he sighed and stood up again. "Is not time get up..." he rumbled, scratching the stubble on his chin.

Matthew put his hands on his hip and looked Alfred in the eye. "Yes it is, sir. You wanted to go to town today, for the church service. You have to finish your chores before we can leave, sir, and we have to leave in three hours."

Alfred waved the younger man off. "Go on. Be down soon."

Instead, Matthew pushed his way past Alfred and into the bedroom beyond. "No, sir. I will help you get dressed and go downstairs with you. Now, go wash your face and do your shaving, sir. I will choose an outfit for you." He moved to the large wardrobe and started sorting through the freshly washed clothes.

Alfred grumbled again and stumbled over to his wash stand, pouring the water into the bowl. He leaned over it and splashed freezing cold water on his face, gasping as he woke up all at once. Then he groped for his bar of soap and scrubbed his face raw before rinsing it off again. He took the mirror from under the stand and set it up, reaching for his razor with the other hand.

Matthew pulled out Alfred's dress suit from the back of the wardrobe and spread it out on the bed, wrinkling his nose at the smell. "How long has it been since you washed your bedding, sir?"

Alfred shrugged as he dragged the razor over his face. Then he rinsed it off in the water basic. "I'm not sure. March? April?"

Matthe grimaced and smoothed the quilt over the sheets before heading back to the wardrobe. "We're going to have to wash them over the weekend, sir. You don't want to spend the winter with dirty sheets."

Alfred shrugged again, scraping the last of the hair off his chin. "Wouldn't matter to me. I've done it before." He splashed water on his face to rinse off the last of the soap, then patted himself dry with the small towel. He walked over to Matthew and looked over his shoulder. "So what am I wearing today, Mother?"

Matthew flushed and held out a pair of stained jeans. Alfred took them and looked over them briefly before slipping into them. "I'm surprised you're letting me wear dirty clothes to church."

Matthew pulled out a shirt with holes worn through it at the elbows. He held it out for Alfred to slip into. "No. You're going to wear these to do your chores and for the ride into town. I will pack your good clothes and you will change before we get to town." He walked around front of the older man, smoothed out the wrinkles in his shirt and started buttoning it.

"And what about you?" Alfred ran his hands back through his hair, trying to tame it, then he slipped his glasses onto his nose.

Matthew stepped back and looked him over from head to toe, nodding slightly. "I will wear my clean clothes and try not to get them dirty, sir."

Alfred rolled his eyes and headed for the doorway. "And cut it out with the Sirs already. I don't think I can take two hours alone with you if you keep calling me Sir."

Matthew walked over to the bed and carefully folded the black suit. "Of course, sir." He slipped the suit into a leather satchel and walked downstairs with the satchel over one shoulder. Then he set the bag on the kitchen table and walked outside to take care of the cows and the chickens. He smiled as he worked, though, because he heard Alfred in the stables, busy arguing with the horses about being up so early.

He walked over to the stable doors, holding the bucket of milk and basket of eggs, and peeked through the door. "Don't forget to hitch Snowball and Beefsteak to the cart, sir. I'm going to go make breakfast, now."

Alfred waved his hand at Matthew and sighed. "I know, Matt. We're going to town today, I won't just suddenly forget to hook up the cart. Now go get back to your cooking. I'll be in when I'm done."

Matthew nodded and turned around. "I'll be waiting, sir." He walked away, barely hearing Alfred yell "Stop that!"

* * *

Matthew sat at the kitchen table, watching the trees rustle in the breeze as he sipped his coffee. He looked up as the kitchen door slammed open and Alfred stalked in, reaching for a coffee cup. Once he had poured himself a cup, he sat down on one of the chairs and looked at the empty table.

"I thought you were cooking breakfast," he growled, positively glaring at the empty table.

"I did, sir. I packed it for us to eat on the road. I didn't think you wanted to be late, sir." Matthew finished off the last of his coffee and set the cup down, hoisting the leather satchel onto his shoulder and holding a covered basket in his other hand.

Alfred tossed his whole cup back at once and stood up next to the younger man. "Fine. Let's go then. And I swear to god...if you don't stop calling me that, I will hit you."

Matthew walked over to the cart, stowed his packages under the driver's seat and climbed up. "You seem angry, sir. Is there something wrong?"

Alfred climbed up next to Matthew and leaned back in the seat, stretching his legs out in front of him. "Snowball thought it would be fun to step on my toes as I was yoking them to the cart." He glared at the offending horse with his arms crossed over his chest. "The little bastard."

Matthew leaned over and gently patted Alfred's knee. "I'm sorry, sir. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Alfred lightly smacked the younger man on the side of the head. "You can stop calling me that for a start. Then you can drive out to town." He picked up the reins and tossed them over to Matthew.

Matthew caught the reins and looked down at them, dumbfounded. "B-but...I don't know how to drive a cart, sir..."

Alfred smacked him again, the moved closer to him on the seat. "It's really pretty simple. It's like riding a horse, only there's two of them. You pull on the reins to turn to one side or the other. You pull on both to stop them. And you put on the brake when you go down a hill so the cart doesn't ram into them from behind."

Matthew nodded and looked at the backs of the two geldings. "Umm...go!"

Alfred rolled his eyes, took the boy's hands in his, and slapped the reins against the horses' back. He leaned back again as the cart started moving foward, rocking back and forth on the dirt trail.

Matthew smiled over at Alfred. "Thank you, sir. If you'd like, breakfast is in the picnic basket."

Alfred hit Matthew yet again, but reached under the seat, between the Canadian's legs, pulling out the basket with a grin on his face. "Finally! Food!" He opened the basket and looked inside with a puzzled frown on his face. "What is this?"

Matthew tucked the reins under his leg and reached over to pull out a package wrapped in paper. "It's a crepe, sir. It is...like a very thin pancake, but it has fruit and cream inside of it, sir."

Alfred pulled out another one and looked at it from several angles. "Are you sure? It just looks like paper to me."

Matthew slipped off the string holding the package shut. "That's because it's wrapped in paper, sir. To keep it from spilling." He unwrapped the top of the paper and folded it back to reveal the apple crepe inside. "Then you just hold it like that and eat it, sir."

Alfred unwrapped his crepe and took a bite out of it, chewing thoughtfully. Finally he smiled and nodded. "This is pretty good. Is this some fancy Canadian food of yours?"

Matthew shook his head. "No. It's a French recipe."

"Yeah. Canadian. Like I said."

"...Canada is largely British, sir. Not French."

"Really?" he asked with his mouth full, staring up at Matthew. "How do you know the recipe, then?"

"It's not exactly a secret recipe, sir..." He looked back up at Alfred's wide, curious eyes and sighed. "But my mother was from Quebec..."

Alfred finished off the last of his crepe and licked his fingers clean. "So your mother taught you how to cook and clean? Did she teach you sewing, too?" He smirked at the Canadian boy.

Matthew nodded a little. "Yes, sir. I've even done a sampler..." He trailed off and glowered at Alfred as the older man started laughing and slapping his knee. "Stop laughing! It is a valuable skill for a bachelor to learn! What do you do when you get a hole in your shirt?"

Alfred stretched his arms out and looked at the holes on the elbows. "I keep wearing it."

Matthew shook his head with a snort. "That is because you are no better than swine, sir. Please remember to pick up some needles and thread while you are shopping, sir. There are a number of your clothes I must repair."

"Yes, Mother..." Alfred snickered again and fished another crepe out of the basket, eating it with gusto. He stopped for a moment, thinking, then let go of his crepe long enough to smack Matthew on the side of his head.

Matthew rubbed his head and looked over at the older man. "That hurt! What was that for?"

Alfred grabbed his crepe again and waved it in Matt's face, his mouth full again. "That's for all those times you called me Sir. I told you!"

Matthew plucked another package from the basket on Alfred's lap. "I'm sorry, sir. I thought you had already forgotten. I'll be more careful."

Alfred tried to smack Matthew with the back of his hand, but he was still holding his crepe, so he just spilled fresh cream and chunks of apple all over the boy's hair. Matthew made a disgusted face and moved away from Alfred, reaching up to touch his hair. "...now I'll have to stop and wash out my hair! You're going to make us late!"

"You're worrying too much, Matt. Here. No need to waste good food." He leaned over close to Matthew and licked the cream and apples off his hair, sitting back with a satisfied smirk.

Matthew moved as far away from Alfred as he could while still sitting on the seat, and gave him a wide-eyed look, his face turning pink. "W-what are you doing?!"

"Reclaiming my breakfast. You?" Alfred sat back and resumed eating his crepe, his eyes still smirking at the younger man.

"That's...! I...! You...! You cannot just go around licking other people because you have spilled your food, sir! It is impolite!" Matthew remained on the far side of the driver's seat, face red and crepe still held loosely in one hand.

Alfred quickly downed the rest of his crepe, taking large bites and hardly chewing before he swallowed. Then he leaned over, reached out his hand, and smacked the back of Matthew's head. "What did I tell you about calling me that?"

Matthew glowered at Alfred, about to say something, but then he bit his lip, unwrapped his crepe and started eating in silence. Alfred leaned back and looked up at the morning sky, shining through the leaves. "Today looks like it will be a good day for a trip into town..." he commented, looking over at Matthew, but the Canadian stayed silent, concentrating on the movement of the horses.

Alfred sighed and sat up again, his hands folded between his knees. "Come on, Matt...don't be like this. If you don't talk to me, I'm just going to fall back asleep."

Matthew didn't even glance over at Alfred as he drove. "Fine. Do as you wish."

Alfred cast one last look at Matthew before he climbed into the back and curled up among the bags to take a nap.

* * *

Matthew pulled the horses to a halt just on the edge of town and reached back to wake Alfred up. He shook the older man's shoulder until he stirred and sat up, blinking tiredly. "What is it? What happened?"

Matthew pulled the satchel from under his seat and held it out to Alfred. "We've reached the town, sir. You'll need to get changed, now."

Alfred sighed and climbed out of the cart, opening the bag to look through it. He took out the clothes, draped them over the side of the cart, and started stripping down next to the cart. Matthew blushed and forced himself to look at the horses. "W-what are you doing? You can't strip in public!"

Alfred stuffed his jeans and shirt into the leather bag and tossed it back up to Matthew. Matthew caught it and clutched it tight to his chest, still pointedly staring away from Alfred. "It's not in public. Even if the townspeople were looking, I'm hidden behind the cart."

Matthew stopped himself from turning around as he heard water falling on the ground. He felt even more blood rush to his face and he buried his face in the bag. "S-Sir! What are you doing! That...that is indecent!" He heard Alfred sigh as the noises trailed off, then he finally looked back when he heard the distinctive rustle of fabric.

Alfred looked up at Matthew with one eyebrow raised. "It's been two hours since I had that coffee. It had to come out sooner or later. Better to get it out before the church service." He threaded his belt through the new pants and slipped the shirt on, buttoning it up.

"I-I know that, but...but you couldn't have gone...farther away to do it, sir? Behind a bush? Or a tree?" He tucked the sack back under the driver's seat and climbed down. He walked over to Alfred, pushed his hands away gently, and rebuttoned his shirt the right way. Then he tucked the shirt tails into the older man's pants and smoothed out the worst of the creases.

"Maybe, but I was right here and I had to get changed here, so it was just easier." He hitched his pants up a little higher and did up the fly before cinching his belt around his waist. Matthew just sighed and held out the jacket for Alfred to slip into, then buttoned it up for him and smoothed it out so that it laid flat on his chest.

He took Alfred's kerchief out of his pocket and held it up to the other man's mouth. "Spit," he ordered and watched Alfred spit into it. Then he scrubbed at the area around the older man's mouth. "There. That's got it."

Alfred just raised his eyebrow at Matthew again. "You couldn't be more like my mother if you tried..."

"I just want to make a good impression on the townspeople so they don't think we're a couple savages. Though if they've met you before, you might be a lost cause..." Matthew smoothed out his own clothes as best he could, brushing his hair back with his fingers.

"...I take that back. You just managed to be more like my mother." He sighed and raked his fingers through his own hair. "Just relax, Matt. These women are very judgemental. I doubt you'll make a good impression."

"That won't stop me from trying, though." Matthew stood up straight and walked confidently into town, heading directly to the church. Alfred shrugged and took off after him, jogging to catch up.

* * *

Matthew lifted his head as the pastor said the final "Amen" and looked around the pews at the other families. He smiled to himself, just slightly, at the knowledge that he was finally back in church again, after months of travel and work. He silently thanked God for giving him the opportunity to work with Alfred, even if the man was a bit frustrating at times.

Alfred stood up beside him and shuffled out of the pews with the others, heading for the door. Matthew stayed in his seat as everyone else filed out, just looking at the crucifix standing on the altar. After the pastor had left the sanctuary, he finally stood up and walked to the front of the room, kneeling in front of the altar with his hands clasped in front of him and his head bowed. Then he stood and began to whisper.

"Dear Father, who art in heaven. I beg your forgiveness for my sins. I...I have not been to church these many long months, Father, but I have always tried to keep you in my heart and in my mind. I have had moments of weakness, though, Father... I...I have been lusting after my employer, Alfred, ever since I started working for him. He stirs my weak flesh and tempts me with his carefree ways, Father. I am sorry for lusting after him and for breaking one of your commandments. I have spilled my seed upon the earth, Father, because I am weak of will. Please help me to strengthen my will and my resolve so that I might better serve you, Father. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen."

He reflexively touched his fingers to his forehead, chest, and both shoulders and he intoned the last sentence, ending with his hands together and his head bowed over his hands. He stayed in front of the altar for a few more seconds, then he took a deep breath and straightened up, smiling as he made his way to the door. He stepped outside, still smiling as he spotted a group of women chatting quietly.

As he moved closer to the group, he picked up traces of their mostly-whispered conversation.

"Did you see that Alfred Jones came in with another young boy today? I almost feel sorry for the boy."

"Yes, but did you see that this one did not look as...uncomfortable as the others did."

"I know, I saw. Maybe he's already made his move...!"

Matthew walked up to the group and cleared his throat. "I'm sorry to bother you, ladies, but I was just wondering if you could tell me where Mister Jones went when he left church?"

The woman nearest him jumped the slightest bit, then spun and ducked her head to Matthew in a bow. "You must be Mister Jones' new farmboy," she said smoothly as she straightened up again. "Why didn't you leave with him earlier, if you don't mind my asking?"

Matthew turned a bit pink as he looked around the group, then shifted his gaze down to look at his boots. "It's...it's a bit embarrassing, but...it's been a few months since I went to church last and I...I had some things to catch up on, with the Holy Father..."

One of the other women looked at him with her face softening into a smile. "You seem like a nice, upright Christian boy. What are you doing working with the likes of Mister Jones?"

"I-I don't... What do you...?"

Another woman held out a piece of paper to him and he took it. "If you want, you could come work as a farmhand for me and my husband. We have a nice lodging house for our farmhands to use."

"Oh, yes. I've been to her farm and the house for the farmboys is perfectly lovely!"

"Umm...th-thank you, miss, but...why are you speaking about Mister Jones as if he was...some sort of monster?" He took the paper and slipped it carefully into the pocket of his jeans.

"You mean you don't know?"

Matthew shook his head slightly. "Know what?"

One of the women leaned farther in and cupped her hand around her mouth. "Mister Jones is a Sodomite!" she whispered harshly.

"He's...but how do you know? Has he said?"

"Of course not! Who would admit to being a Sodomite? But he's almost twenty five and he's never been married! He's never even courted a girl!"

"And he only hires young men for his farmhands, never anyone older than himself!"

"And I've heard that he's never even been with a woman, not even one of those Jezebels!"

"That's not what I heard! I heard that Annabelle from the saloon took him up to her room a few years back. But then by the end, he was screaming some man's name!"

"No! Annabelle did? I will have to give her a talking to next time I see her!"

Matthew raised his hand timidly. "Umm...did you see where Mister Jones went...?"

"I think he went to the general store, but you'll want to be careful boy. He's liable to sodomize you at any moment!"

"A-actually, Mister Jones has been v-very kind to me..."

"That's how it always starts, mark my words!"

"He's just trying to lull you into a false sense of security."

"Yeah. Then one night, he'll climb in your window and attack and turn you into a Sodomite, just like him!"

"...I don't think Sodomites work that way, Bette..."

"How do you know?! Have you ever been bitten by one?!"

"No, and I'm guessing you haven't either. I think you're thinking of Vampires."

"I am not! Vampires just rise from the dead and terrorize peaceful villages! Like Old Mister Ferguson!"

Matthew slowly backed away from the group and turned to walk away, listening to the conversation fade out.

"Mister Ferguson was just buried alive... He wasn't a Vampire."

"That's what he said, but I bet he was just waiting to terrorize the town!"

"...he died of a heart attack the next night, Bette..."

He walked along the wooden walkways until he saw the sign for the General Store. He ducked through the door and waited for the sun dazzle to fade from his eyes as he looked around. He saw movement in the shadows farther inside and he followed them. Then he felt Alfred's strong hand clap him on the back. "Matt! Where have you been? I haven't seen you since the service ended!"

Matthew smiled back at the older man and reached out to pat his hand. "I just had something to do at the church so I stayed after for a little bit. Then I spoke to some of the women outside. They told me where to find you." He felt Alfred's shoulders droop, even from a foot away.

"I...I see. So I guess they told you about me, then?"

Matthew smiled and nodded, deciding that they shouldn't discuss it in public. "Of course they told me where you went. That's what I asked them after all." He immediately felt Alfred's shoulders pick up again as his smiled returned.

"Of course. You said that the first time!"

Matthew patted the older man on the back and looked around the goods displayed on the counter. "So did you remember to get the needles and thread, like I asked, sir?"

Alfred just laughed and lightly hit the younger man on the side of the head. "Don't be silly, Matt. It would ruin my reputation if I was to buy girly housewife things like that."

Matthew just glared at Alfred and rubbed the side of his head. "But I need them, sir! If I can't mend..." His voice trailed off as Alfred grabbed his hand and pulled it down, palm up. "What are you...?" He blinked and looked down at his hand as he felt some slips of paper and a bunch of coins fall on his palm. "What is this, sir?"

Alfred grinned at him. "Well, since I don't get money very often, there's your pay for the work you've done until now and some for work you'll be doing in the future, too. But there's nothing to spend it on at home, so go crazy." He reached out to ruffle Matt's hair and smiled. "I have to go to the tailor, though, and see about something. Have fun." He waved and walked out the door, heading off down the street.

Matthew shoved the cash into his pocked and turned back to the counters, looking around. He finally walked up to the owner and greeted him with a smile.

"What can I get for you, sir?" the owner asked.

"Well, I'd like to start with a pack of needles, two spools of thread, two irons...uhm...5 preserve jars, a small cone of sugar, one twist each of your best spices..."

The owner piled items up on the counter as Matthew listed them off. Then Matthew pulled the money out of his pocket and counted out enough to pay for his purchase before putting the rest back. "Would you like to take this with you, sir, or have it sent to your cart?"

Matthew looked at the pile for a moment before he nodded. "Can you please send it to the cart? I have to go find Mister Jones again. Thank you, sir!" He walked out of the store and strode down the walkway, trying to find the tailor. He ducked into the store and walked up to Alfred, smiling. "I think I've finished here, sir, so whenever you're ready we can go back."

Alfred turned to look at the younger man. "Oh! Matt! That was fast. Are you sure you got everything?"

Matthew nodded. "Of course. I should be ready for winter like this."

"Oh, good. So would you mind standing just there with your arms out to your sides?"

The Canadian stood up straight and held his arms out, parallel to the ground. Then Alfred took a few steps toward the back of the store. "He's followed me in here, Perry! He's waiting out here!"

A middle-aged man with graying brown hair emerged from behind a rack of fabric, a measuring tape around his neck, and walked up to Matthew, nodding. "You were right, Al. He really is just a scrawnier version of you."

"I knew it!" Alfred cried with a wide grin.

Matthew just glowered at the larger man again. "I am not scrawny, sir!"

Perry walked up to Matthew, whipping his measuring tape off his neck and wrapping it around Matthew in various places. Once he had finished, he scribbled some numbers on a pad of paper and wrapped his tape back around his neck. "That should be all I need, Al. I'll give you everything I have right now and I'll see how many I can alter in the next hour or so. Is that enough time?"

Alfred nodded. "Plenty. We're going to go get something to eat at the saloon and then we'll be waiting back at the cart until it's time to leave." He took Matt's arm in one hand and steered him towards the door. "Come on, Matt. Time for grub.

Matthew looked back over his shoulder at the tailor as he was led out. "W-what was that about, sir?"

Alfred shrugged and pulled the younger man toward the Saloon. "Nothing much. Just picking up some new clothes."

Matthew frowned at Alfred and pulled his hand away. "Again, sir? You don't need any more new clothes! You already have more than you know what to do with!"

Alfred shook his seat and smacked Matthew's ear before sitting down. "Not for me. For you. It really bugs you to only have two outfits, so I thought I would pick you up a few more. But it's only what he can find that might fit you. Nothing new and fancy..."

Matthew flushed and sat down opposite Alfred. "I..I...thank you, sir. How can I repay you for this?"

Alfred reached across the table to hit Matthew again. "I've already told you lots of times. Stop calling me that and I'll be happy." He put his hand up to flag down a barmaid and grinned at her. "Two beers, please, and two meals."

The barmaid nodded shortly and walked back over to the bar, her hips swaying as she moved.

* * *

Matthew fidgeted on the seat of the cart as he watched Alfred speak to the tailor, finally handing some money over. The tailor smiled at him and hoisted the bag of clothes into the back of the cart, to sit on top of their other supplies. He blushed a little bit as Alfred came around and hoisted himself onto the driver's seat. "T-thank you, sir..." he said, flinching back as the older man reached across to hit him.

"No problem, Matt. Just stop calling me that. You're making me feel like an old man." He took up the reins and urged the horses forward, just staring at the path ahead of them for several long minutes, feeling his shoulders knot up as he thought about the young man next to him. Finally, he cleared his throat and looked over at Matthew. "Umm...Matt...those ladies in town. Did they...say anything else about me? Besides where I went, that is."

Matthew turned on the seat so he faced the older man, propping one knee against the backrest. "A few things, sir..." He rested his arm on his raised knee.

"Like...like what?" He glanced over at the young man briefly before turning his eyes back on the road.

Matthew looked down at his hands, suddenly very interested in his nails. "Well, they seemed to think you were a Sodomite, sir. And a Vampire."

Alfred suddenly started laughing, slapping his thigh with one hand. "That...that would probably be...Bette," he got out between peals of laughter. He finally calmed down and wiped his eyes with a palm. "She reads more than is good for her. God only knows what she'll think I am next..."

Matthew looked back up at Alfred with curious eyes. "But are you, sir?"

Alfred looked into the boy's eyes, still smiling. "A Vampire? I don't think so. I haven't got any urges to bite anyone yet. And I can't control wolves or anything."

Matthew flushed and looked away from told older man again. "A...a Sodomite, sir..."

"Oh, right. I...I guess that makes more sense. Yeah...yeah, I am..."

Matthew looked back at Alfred, still serious. "Did...did you hire me just because I was a young man, sir?"

Alfred shifted in his seat and turned his gaze back to the path. "I... No, Matt. I...I mean, it didn't hurt that you were...a...a very a—" Then he shook his head and waved a hand in the air, as if to erase what he just said. "No. No. I did that wrong. Let me start over." He took a deep breath and looked at the younger man. "Matt, I actually hired you because you had worked on a farm before and...and I guess I thought you would be level-headed enough to not run away if...if you found out about me." He finally looked down at his hands. "Though I would understand if you wanted to leave and work on a different farm..."

Matthew reached out and gently placed a hand on Alfred's arm. "I think you made the right choice, then, sir. I don't...don't mind if you're a Sodomite or not, sir. You haven't actually tried to...to do anything to me, though. And I don't think you will, sir." Then he smiled at the older man and chuckled a little. "Besides, I still have to work off that paycheck you gave me before I can leave, sir."

Alfred grinned back at him and urged the horses into a trot. "So...that means if I keep paying you, you'll have to stick around, right?"

Matthew took his hand back and laughed at the look on Alfred's face. "I suppose, sir. Until it comes time that I have to leave. Then I'd just have to give your money back."

Alfred leaned back as the cart swayed back and forth faster. "Not that you'll be going anywhere right away. Winter's going to be here soon and then you're stuck with me until spring."

"As long as you keep up on your laundry, sir, I'm sure this winter will be fine."

Alfred reached out lazily and tapped Matthew on the side of the head. "Just pretend that was a smack. I'm too tired for a real one right now. This morning is catching up to me hard."

Matthew nodded. "Of course, sir. Whatever you like."


	8. November 9, 1902

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matthew and Alfred go hunting before winter sets in an end up with a pet dog.

Matthew opened his eyes and looked around his room for a moment before he sat up and peered out the window, rubbing away the condensation with his sleeve. He nodded and got up, dressing in one of the new, warmer winter outfits Alfred had bought for him, smiling as he pulled on his boots and went out into the hallway. He rapped on Alfred's door sharply, and waited for an answer.

When he didn't receive an answer, he knocked again, harder. "Mister Jones, sir, are we still going hunting today?" He heard a grunt from inside the room and tried the door. It swung open and he stepped inside lighting Alfred's lamp. "Sir, you wanted to go hunting today?"

The lump under the covers shifted around and curled up even smaller. He heard a muffled "...later..." worm its way out from under the quilt. He strode over and pulled Alfred's quilt off, blushing when he saw that the man slept with his union suit unbuttoned, his shame hanging out for the world to see.

He spread the quilt back over Alfred's legs before he reached out to shake his shoulder. "Wake up, sir. You wanted to go hunting this morning."

Alfred yawned widely and rolled over on his back, his arms flung wide to reveal his broad chest. "...later. Sleep..."

Matthew blushed brighter and forced himself to look at Alfred's sleeping face. "Please, sir, just wake up. You said you wanted to hunt, sir, and this is a perfect time to set up camp."

Alfred turned his face to Matthew and opened one bleary eye. "Do you even know what time it is?"

Matthew smiled and nodded. "Yes, sir! It's four in the morning, sir. If we set up now, we'll have time for a quick meal before the animals start coming out, sir."

Alfred closed his eyes again. "Matt?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Lean down here do I can hit you, Matt." Alfred started waving his arm in Matthew's general direction.

Matthew smiled and leaned down next to the bed, within range of Alfred's flailing arm. After a few moments passed without a connection, he reached out, grabbed Alfred's hand, and brought it to his head. "Perhaps you should look at what you're doing, sir?"

Alfred blindly smacked the younger man on the temple and curled up to sleep again. "Not if I have to open my eyes..."

Matthew stood up and walked over to grab Alfred's pitcher and carried it over to stand next to the bed. "I'm sorry, sir. Please believe me." He then tilted the ceramic jug and poured icy cold water on Alfred's face, moving the pitcher down his body as he twitched the quilt aside with his free hand, water splashing on Alfred's chest, abs, and lower.

Alfred sat up with a loud cry, his hands coming down to cover himself as the water hit his groin. Matthew splashed a bit of water on the older man's face before he tilted the jug back up, smiling at Alfred. "Are you ready to get up, sir?"

Alfred shot Matthew a dirty look, but climbed out of the wet bed, shivering in the cold air. "That...was unreasonably c-cruel, Matt."

Matthew set the pitcher back down on the washstand and smiled back at Alfred. "I'm sorry, sir. I tried waking you up, but you insisted on sleeping. I had to take drastic measures. Shall I find you an outfit for this morning, sir?"

Alfred glanced up at Matthew as he slipped his arms out of his union suit, letting it fall around his knees. He noticed the younger man blushing and nodded. "If you don't mind, Matt. Starting with a new union suit, since you've gotten this one all wet."

Matthew nodded, face red, and walked over to the wardrobe, burying himself inside while he tried to get his body under control. He pulled out a wool suit and held it out behind him, not looking back. "Here you are, sir. I'll have the rest in a moment."

Alfred took it from Matthew and slipped into it, moaning softly at the relative warmth of the wool against his skin. He saw the younger boy jump a bit at his moan as he buttoned the front of the suit. Then he tapped Matthew on the shoulder. "It's alright, Matt. I'm decent now."

Matthew just held out a shirt and a pair of jeans. "T-that's great, sir. I'm just...still looking for some clothes." He finally straightened up and held out a flannel shirt to the older man.

Alfred took it and looked at it. "Will I really need this?"

Matthew nodded. "It will feel like winter outside, sir. You should also wear a cap, a scarf, and some gloves, sir."

Alfred hit the boy over the head with the shirt before he slipped it on over his first shirt. Matthew looked up at him from under his bangs. "Will you please stop hitting me, sir?"

Alfred reached over and flicked his forehead instead. "Not until you stop calling me Sir, Matt."

Matthew blew air out through his nose and turned away from Alfred, his body suddenly taking on a stubborn stance. "I'll go prepare our things, sir. I expect to see you downstairs shortly, dressed and ready to go." He marched out of the room and jogged down the steps.

Alfred shrugged and looked down at himself to make sure his buttons were all lined up right.

* * *

Matthew adjusted the screen one last time before he sat down behind it, checking Alfred's rifle in the lantern light. Once he was reasonably certain the gun wouldn't backfire on them, he set it down and picked up a piece of jerked meat, gnawing on it.

He looked over at Alfred, sitting less than a foot away, plowing through the jerky like a starving dog. "You'll have to finish soon, sir. It's almost time for the animals to start coming out."

Alfred downed the last of his food, then grabbed the rifle and got up on one knee to watch the clearing. Next to him, Matthew got down on his stomach and peered through a hole in the screen. Alfred looked down at the younger man with his eyebrow raised. "What are you doing, Matt?"

Matthew brushed some hair out of his eyes and looked back at Alfred. "I'm waiting for the animals, sir. It's much easier to hunt from a prone position. The game is less likely to spot you and it is easier on your legs and knees, sir."

Alfred grumbled, but he set the rifle down next to Matt and got down on his stomach next to the smaller man. "And how are you supposed to see them through this...contraption?"

"If you look closely, sir, there are some holes in it here, so that you can see out and there's even some you can aim a rifle through."

Alfred moved around to get closer to the screen and looked at it. "Hey, yeah, look at that. That's great." He squirmed around for a moment until he found a comfortable spot, ending up hip to hip with Matthew. Then he took the rifle and aimed it through the screen, trying to find the range of motion.

Matthew blushed and looked away as he felt Alfred's hip brush against his with every breath he took. He tried to distract himself by mentally running down the checklist of how to field-dress an animal. He jumped when he felt an elbow dig into his side, then he looked at Alfred with wide eyes. "W-what is it, sir?"

Alfred reached up and smacked Matthew on the back of the head. Matthew, unprepared for the attack, felt his head snap forward and hit the ground. He picked himself up and glared across the small space at Alfred. "Stop doing that, sir! It hurts!"

Alfred rolled up onto one side and gave Matthew an impassive look. "Then stop calling me Sir! It makes me feel like an old man..."

Matthew rubbed the back of his head and reached his hand between them to jab the air in front of Alfred's face. "I know what you're trying to do, sir, and it won't work!" He moved his hand down to jab the American's chest, through three layers of fabric. "I was raised to be polite and do you know how, sir? Do you?! My brothers and my father would hit me every time I forgot to call them Sir! So your plan won't work, sir! The more you hit me, the more I will call you Sir, sir!"

Alfred put his hands up in the air. "Okay, Matt. Calm down. Just...calm down. I didn't know." He smiled gently at the angry Canadian lying next to him. "But I don't like people calling me Sir, though. It reminds me of my old riding instructor back east. He was the most uptight brit I ever met and he always insisted everyone call him Sir." He sighed and rolled back onto his stomach again. "I just never wanted to be like him. He was always angry at everything and everyone."

Matthew took a deep breath and let it out in a frustrated sigh. He took off his knit cap and brush his hair back off his face before slipping it on again. "Fine. Okay. Fine. I'll try not to call you Sir so much, alright?" He looked at the smiled on the American's face. "On one condition, though. If I slip up, I don't want you hitting me anymore. That doesn't work and it just annoys me, sir."

Alfred nodded and held out his hand to the younger man. "Alright. Deal." Matthew took his hand and shook it once, then let go of it to stare at the clearing once more. Alfred just kept looking over at Matthew. "...so you mentioned brothers. How many brothers do you have anyways? I think you only talked about one so far..."

"I have five brothers, sir. All of them older than me. My mother is Quebecois, though her family moved out west when she was twelve, and my father is English." Matthew kept his eyes straight ahead as he spoke.

"He was a brit, too? So did he have a stick up his ass like my riding teacher?" Alfred rested his chin on his arm and looked over at the boy next to him.

"He is very polite, if that's what you mean, sir. And he expected the same courtesy from the people he knew."

"...so he had a stick up his ass." Alfred sighed and looked forward again. "...how does that saying even work? Having a stick up your ass doesn't seem like it would be that bad..."

"I...I don't think that is what it means, sir." Matthew's eyes moved back and forth as he looked for motion in the bushes, to hide the blush that rose on his cheeks. "I think it refers more to one's posture, sir. Similar to having a ramrod-straight spine."

Alfred nodded a little bit as he thought it over. "Yeah...yeah, that probably makes more sense. Because I've done some experiments and having stuff up your ass can feel pretty good."

Matthew turned bright red and looked away from Alfred. "P-please stop, sir..."

Alfred noticed the boy's discomfort and cleared his throat, looking all around the clearing. "So...there's no animals coming by, yet. Why did we have to get up so early, again?"

"They're probably still hiding, sir, because they can hear human voices. Perhaps if you were quiet, sir..."

Alfred nodded and set the rifle down in front of Matthew. "Tell you what, Matt. I'll just take a nap for a while. I had a lot of...frustrations to burn off last night, so I didn't get a lot of sleep before you came barging in. So I'll just do some catching up and you watch for signs of animals. Okay?" He reached over to pat the young man on the shoulder, but ended up hitting lower than he had planned, patting him on the lower back instead. Then he pulled his arm back and folded it under his head, closing his eyes.

Matthew turned bright red as he finally realized why the older man had been sleeping with his union suit open. He waited a few minutes to make sure that Alfred was asleep before he bit his lip hard and snaked one hand down his side and under his body to rub between his legs. He lifted his hips just far enough to unzip his fly and snake his hand inside his union suit between the buttons.

He closed his eyes and turned his face away from Alfred as he frantically stroked his erection. His breath hitched as he felt the muscles of his stomach, legs, and groin twitch and convulse, feeling so close to release. He let out a strangled whimper and felt his whole body tense up as he released all over his hand and the inside of his union suit. He pulled his hand out and zipped his fly back up before finally relaxing his hips and focusing on the clearing again.

Not five minutes later, Matthew saw the bushes rustle and a young buck walked into the clearing, stopping to sniff the air. He quickly brought the gun up to the screen and sighted along the length of it before he pulled the trigger. The deer looked up as he heard the hammer click, but then the bullet hit him in the neck and he went down, his legs flailing frantically.

Matthew stood up and walked into the clearing, stopping several feet away from the deer. He raised the rifle and looked it straight in the eye as he took aim again. He pulled the trigger and this time the bullet hit the buck between the eyes.

With Matthew gone, Alfred raised his head and peered through the screen at the clearing. He watched the deer's dying convulsions, his eyes widening as he saw Matthew standing next to the deer with his arms crossed, waiting for the animal to die. The younger man casually picked up a nearby stick and poked the buck's eye with it. When nothing happened, he nodded, grabbed the animal by the horns, and dragged him out of the clearing into the underbrush.

He followed Matthew's trajectory into the woods, looking for some sign of the younger man. He caught a glimpse of a shadowy arm and the dim flash of moonlight on metal. He then closed his eyes and rolled over on his side, freeing his erection its prison of wool and denim. He wrapped a hand around it tightly and started to stroke, listening to the sound of metal cutting through flesh, and flesh rubbing against flesh.

He imagined that it was Matthew's hands making those noises, Matthew's fingers stroking his flesh, exploring his ass with slick fingers... He brought his free arm up to his face and bit down on it to stifle his moans as he thrust into his tight fist, imagining that it was Matthew's fist, that Matthew was leaning over him in just his union suit, with that bulge in the front, teasing him and taunting him. Then he shook his head sharply. He didn't have time for a long drawn-out release. He had to finish before Matthew got back from dressing the deer.

He flattened out his hand and pressed it to the underside of his erection, thrusting up into his hand hard and fast. He bit down harder on his arm as his mind replaced his hand with Matthew's stomach. He squeezed his eyes tighter shut and imagined Matthew leaning over him, pressing their naked bodies together, slipping up and down on top of him, wrapped around him tight like a greased snake. He cried out against his arm and rolled up on his knees briefly, giving his erection one last fisted stroke before he shot his seed onto the ground below him.

His eyes flew open as he heard rustling in the brush and he quickly shoved himself back inside his pants, zipping the fly again. He rolled over on his stomach, just covering the evidence of his release before Matthew came back in sight, dragging the dressed deer behind himself. He dropped it near the back of camp and got down on his stomach next to Alfred again, reloading the rifle.

Alfred looked back at the buck, then over at Matthew. "That's a pretty impressive catch, Matt. And you managed to dress him so quick. I didn't think you knew how to hunt."

Matthew just gave Al an exasperated look. "I told you that I grew up on a farm, sir. With five older brothers."

"Yeah, but you also said you were a Mama's Boy."

"I never said that!"

Now it was Alfred's turn to give Matthew a look. "You said you did a Sampler, Matt. That screams Mama's Boy."

"Maybe my mother taught me a few of the more feminine tasks around the house, but they're useful skills for living alone, sir!" Matthew shoved the gun back over to Alfred.

"...even embroidery?"

Matthew glared at Alfred. "Please shut up, sir."

Alfred laughed and took the gun. "So how did a Mama's Boy learn how to dress a deer so quick?"

Matthew shot Alfred a dangerous look. "I went out hunting with my older brothers, sir. They said I had to learn to dress a deer before I was allowed to hunt them. Then, when I learned how to dress them, they told me I couldn't hunt them because I was too good at dressing them. All I ever did on hunting trips was dress animals, sir." He sighed and rested his chin on his arms. "Except when I had to sew them up for mounting on a wall." He shivered slightly and moved a fraction of an inch closer to the older man. "I never want to sew another eyelid shut. Or a mouth."

Alfred reached over to drape his arm across Matthew's back. "Don't worry, Matt. I don't want to save anything but the meat and the fur." He sat and watched the clearing for a moment in silence, then turned and looked at the young man again. "So how far away did you live before?"

"Not very far, sir. I was just over the border, but before that my folks lived in Manitoba."

Alfred gave Matthew a confused look. "I thought you said you were from Canada."

"...I am, sir. Manitoba is a part of Canada. Just like Montana is part of the United States." Matthew turned his eyes back on the clearing, watching for more signs of game.

"Oh...okay, so I get it now. They came from the... state of Manitoba... in the United States of Canada. Right?" He smiled at the Canadian.

"...close enough, sir."

"What kind of crazy name is Manitoba anyway?"

"I think it's an Indian word, sir."

"Ah." Alfred nodded knowingly, then frowned. "Wait...so you still have Indians up there?"

Matthew just sighed and rolled his eyes. "Yes, sir. We have Indians in Canada, too."

Alfred looked away for a moment, chewing his lip, then looked back with that  same questioning look. "And you can't have a farm in town, but what town did you live near?"

Matthew looked at the eager smile on the other man's face and smiled back a little. "When I left, it was a town called Maple Creek, sir, but that was a pretty new town. It was only established the year I was born. My father said that, before that, it was a full day's ride to the nearest town..." He quickly glanced at the clearing before looking back at Alfred. "What about you, sir? Where did you grow up?"

"Well, I spent most of my childhood out near New York city..."

* * *

Matthew pulled the rabbit from the trap on the edge of the clearing with a grin on his face as he sized it up. He finally nodded and reached down to pull the knife from his boot. Alfred looked up from bagging their catches as he heard the smooth sound of metal sliding against leather. Then he bit his lip as the knife caught the sunlight briefly while the young man slit its throat cleanly.

Alfred looked back down as he caught the knife movements in his peripheral vision, shoving his wild turkey into the leather bag.

Matthew expertly removed the rabbit's entrails dumping them on the ground and double checking to make sure he hadn't missed anything. He nodded and tied the rabbit's legs together with a piece of twine. "Here you are, sir. That one is for dinner tonight."

Alfred nodded as he took it from the younger man, putting it in the bag with the rest. "We had a pretty good haul this morning. Maybe you were right about getting out early."

Matthew smiled and dismantled the trap. "I know I was right, sir. Sometimes at home, we would even camp out at the hunting site the night before, just so we were ready the next morning. Are you almost done, sir?"

Alfred nodded as he tied the sack shut. "I'm ready. Are you sure you can carry that back by yourself?"

Matthew picked up the ends of the rope he had tied around the deer and hoisted them over his shoulder. "I'm fine, sir. Please just go on ahead."

Alfred nodded and started off. "I'll see you back at the house, then."

Matthew settled the rope across his shoulders and started back to the house at a slow walk, dragging his buck behind him. After several minutes of walking, he heard a rustling down in the bushes behind him, followed by the sound of a predator feeding. He picked up his pace as much as he could, still dragging the deer behind him, while keeping his ears perked.

The eating noises stopped for a moment and then he heard the predator move closer before stopping to eat again. He conjured up his mental map of entrail piles and came to the conclusion that the predator was eating faster than he was walking. He glanced down at his boot to make sure his knife was still where it belonged before he got a better grip on the ropes as he walked.

He listened to the entrail piles disappear one by one, each one seeming to go faster than the last one, though logically they would all go faster than the pile from the deer. He felt his heart race as he listened to the rustling get closer. Then he finally heard the rabbit entrails disappear with a voracious gulp.

He gritted his teeth and concentrated on dragging the deer, while hoping against hope that the predator wouldn't pick up his trail and follow him home. He broke through the edge of the forest, hearing the bushes rustling not 30 feet behind him. He shifted both ropes to one hand and waved to catch Alfred's attention. "SIR!"

Alfred set his bag down and looked up, automatically moving towards Matthew. "What is it, Matt?"

Matthew kept moving away from the woods, towards the farmhouse. "Sir, I think there's something following my trail. It started with the entrails in the woods and now it's following me."

Alfred nodded once. "Alright. I'll help you get the deer over to the house and see if I can't scare it off." He moved behind Matthew and picked up the other end of the deer. Matthew pulled the ropes farther up on his shoulder and set off toward the house at a jog, with Alfred following right behind him.

They set the deer down by the kitchen door and immediately headed back to the edge of the forest. Matthew reached down and pulled out his knife, while Alfred drew his pistol and cocked the hammer, both of them focused on the rustling noises.

Then the predator broke through the edge of the brush, its nose to the ground. Then it picked up its shaggy head, saw the two men and barked. Alfred immediately uncocked his gun and slipped it back into the holster, a smile splitting his face as he walked forward. Matthew maintained his guarded position, glaring at Alfred. "What the hell are you doing, sir?! That's a wild animal! It could be dangerous!"

Alfred just grinned back at him and waved at him to lower his knife. "Don't be silly, Matt, it's just a dog."

"It is a wild dog, sir! Look at the way its fur is matted!"

Alfred crouched down and scratched the dog behind the ears, then he reached under the clumps of fur for the collar. He turned it around so he could see the tags on the collar. "His collar says his name is Danny, Matt! Isn't he adorable?"

Matthew sighed and sheathed his knife before walking closer. "Sir, you can't just take in a dog that has been wandering around the forest. He's probably feral. Besides, you don't have any place to keep a dog."

"I have a whole farm, Matt! He could stay out here!"

"In the middle of winter, sir?"

Alfred sighed and looked down at Danny, still scratching him behind the ears. "Don't worry, boy. We'll find a place for you."

Matthew rolled his eyes. "Fine. If you insist on keeping him, how about the barn?"

Alfred winced. "I...I don't think that would work so well. That's where Abigail lives..."

Matthew sighed and rubbed his forehead. "...who is Abigail, sir?"

Alfred chewed on his lower lip for a second. "...she's the nasty old cat that lives up in the hayloft. I haven't been able to get rid of her, so I just left her there... She keeps the mice out of the feed."

Matthew stood up and threw his arms in the air. "Fine, sir! Let the dog into the house!" He looked down at Alfred's look of joy. "But NOT before he has had a bath in HOT water! I want to kill as many of his fleas and diseases as I can before he gets anywhere near the food!"

Alfred smiled and scratched Danny behind both ears at the same time. "Hear that, boy? You get to live with us!"

Matthew just rolled his eyes and stalked back to the house to hang up the game and keep them out of reach of their new dog.


	9. December 25, 1902

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christmas on the ranch.

Matthew woke early in the morning and looked out the window at the snow piled on the ground. He heaved a deep sigh and grumbled under his breath as he climbed out of bed, shivering. He clamped his jaw shut to keep his teeth from chattering as he went over to his wardrobe and put on his winter outfit, which was really just wearing half his closet at once. Then he shoved his feet into his boots and stomped downstairs, grabbing his hat, scarf, and gloves on the way.

As soon as he set foot in the kitchen, Danny levered himself off the floor and trotted up to Matthew, looking at him expectantly. Matthew just glared at the dog and nudged him back with the toe of his boot. "Go back to sleep. I don't have anything for you." Then he grabbed the basket and bucket that he kept by the door and walked out into the drifting snow, heading for the chicken coop.

He frowned as the chickens shied away from him instead of clustering near the fence, waiting for their food. Then he rolled his eyes and looked behind himself to see Danny following him, clumps of snow clinging to his long fur. He grabbed two handfuls of chicken feed and hurled them at the ground inside the coop yard before he opened the door to the coop itself, reaching inside to grab the eggs from the nests. He felt a bump on his leg and looked down to see Danny trying to climb inside the coop, sniffing the air.

He grabbed the dog's collar with one hand and hauled him back, away from the door, before he pushed it shut with his elbow. He leaned down to look Danny in his bright brown eyes. "Your looks won't work on me, dog. Now go back inside and bother Alfred." He let go of the collar and stood up straight, heading out to the barn. He grabbed the low stool as he walked through the door, then dropped it and the bucket in the space between the stalls.

He led the first cow out of her stall and tied her to the post in the walkway, smiling a little as he rubbed her down with an old horse brush. He spoke to her softly as he brushed her from tip to tail, even pressing his cheek against her side briefly. Then he patted her side and grabbed the pitchfork to muck out her stall.

He brought his head up and looked out into the center aisle as he heard a nervous moo, then he winced as he heard an ear-splitting yowl from behind him. He spun to see Abigail outside of the stall, tension and anger written into every hair on her arched back. Then he watched as the cat ran between the cow's legs and threw herself at the dog, hissing and spitting.

There was a brief struggle of claws, teeth, and fur, then Abigail walked back to the loft ladder with her tail held high. Matthew then looked over at Danny, sitting just in front of the barn doors, whimpering and licking his scratches. He smiled a little before he went back to the cows. He managed to milk all of the cows without the dog coming near him again. His opinion of the barn cat rose considerably after that.

When he dropped the eggs and milk off in the kitchen, Alfred still wasn't awake, so Matthew sighed and headed back outside again to take care of the horses. He decided that the older man probably deserved one day off, especially with the weather so cold. However, he would have preferred that the dog had slept in, too. Then he could have one day of work where he wasn't always getting underfoot and scaring the other animals. At least the cat had finally stood up for herself and her territory.

He briefly considered taking the horses out to exercise them, but then he looked out at the snowy corral and thought about his nice, warm kitchen waiting for him back in the house. He shook his head and gently patted Sunny's rounded belly. "You guys get the day off, too. How about that? Just don't tell Alfred..." He smiled and winked at her before heading back to the house.

He lit a fire inside the metal stove and coaxed it up to a good, hot flame. Then he set his boots next to it, shivering as he walked around in his stocking feet, collecting ingredients for breakfast. Once the snow had melted off his boots, he pulled them out from under the stove and put them back on, smiling as the heat spread up his body.

* * *

Alfred woke up slowly, stretching and feeling his joints pop and crack. Then he groaned and sat up in bed, scraping the dried remnants of last night's release from his stomach before he buttoned up his union suit. He frowned as he climbed out of bed, trying to identify the smell coming from downstairs, then he grinned and got dressed as quickly as he could. He grabbed the small box from his bedside table and ran down the stairs to the kitchen. He waved at the young man standing by the stove.

Matthew turned around and waved back at him, smiling. "Please have a seat, sir. Breakfast will be done in a moment."

Alfred shook his head a little. "Just a minute, Matt. I have something I need to do, first."

Matthew turned back to his pan and Alfred spotting a flipping motion, his mouth already watering at the thought of pancakes. "You don't need to worry about the horses, sir," he said without looking back. "I've already taken care of them."

Alfred bit his lip as he felt a pang of guilt for forgetting his horses in his excitement for the day. "Thanks, Matt, but it's...uh...something different."

"If you have any more 'frustrations' to work out, sir, I would suggest the outhouse. Cleaning it off your sheets was bad enough, sir. I don't want to scrub it out of the floor."

Alfred flushed and opened the door to the sitting room. "Uh...thanks, Matt. I'll...keep that in mind." He slipped into the sitting room and closed the door behind him. He padded over to the tree in the corner and set his small box underneath the branches. Then he looked up and hurried over to the fireplace, piling wood and tinder in the grill before lighting it with his flint and steel. He kept feeding its bits of kindling until it took hold of the larger pieces of wood and started burning strong.

He quickly shoved the table closer to the sofa as he heard Matthew call for him. Then he draped a spare quilt over the back of the sofa and walked back into the kitchen, smiling and flushed all over.

Matthew just sighed and looked at the American's flushed face. "I told you not to do that in the house, sir..."

Alfred shook his head and sat at the table with a wide grin on his face. "It's not that, Matt."

Matthew set the pancakes on the table and turned back to grab the roast quail off the stove. "Then what is it, sir?"

Alfred shook his head again, his smile growing even wider. "You'll find out later. Come on. Let's eat."

The younger man sighed and rolled his eyes before spreading apple butter on his pancakes. Then he frowned as he felt Danny bump up against his leg under the table and he pushed the dog away with his foot.

* * *

Matthew stood by the sink and scraped the leftovers onto a large serving plate, then sighed as he set the plate on the floor. He gently scratched Danny behind the ears before standing up and piling the dishes in the sink.

Alfred came up beside the younger man and looked at him. "What's wrong, Matt? You've been moping around all morning. Today is supposed to be a happy day!"

He shook his head and gave Alfred a weak smile as he ran his fingers through his hair. "It's nothing, sir. I just...I've just been thinking about my family. Today is supposed to be happy because you spend it with family, sir..."

Alfred just clapped the Canadian on the back. "Don't worry, Matt. We're your family now. Me and Danny and Goldie and Pepper and the rest. Maybe even Abigail." He looked at the skeptical look on the younger man's face, then pulled away and tugged on his hand. "Come on, Matt. I've got something to show you."

Matthew turned around and watched Alfred disappear through the second door in the kitchen. He looked at it curiously for a moment before he followed after the older man. He reached out as he walked and snagged a small package from the counter, slipping it in his pocket as he went through the door.

He stopped and let the door swing shut behind him, just blinking at what he saw. He smiled a little as he saw Alfred standing behind the sofa, smiling broadly. Then his eyes moved to the evergreen tree standing in the corner, decorated with strings of dried, wild berries and ornaments carved from wood. He moved forward and turned to look behind himself at the strings of holly hanging from the walls. He moved forward to stand next to Alfred, feeling the heat from the fireplace.

"When did you have time to do all of this, sir?"

Alfred shrugged and put his hands on the back of the sofa, vaulting over the back to sit on the cushions. "Mostly when you were busy doing...whatever it was in the kitchen. But I had to sneak out last night to get the tree." He shivered as he remembered the freezing temperatures. "I forgot how damn cold it gets at night."

Matthew smiled warmly and walked around the sofa to sit next to Alfred, facing him. "It's wonderful, sir. Thank you." He even smiled down at Danny when the dog walked up to him and laid his head in Matthew's lap. He reached down to scratch Danny briefly before he pulled his hand away and dug into his pocket. "I have something for you, too, sir."

He pulled out a package wrapped in an embroidered handkerchief and held it out to the older man. Alfred took it, grinning like a madman, and carefully untied the knots. His eyes lit up like a child's as he saw the candies inside. He picked one up and popped it in his mouth, closing his eyes and moaning softly as he sucked on it.

Matthew blushed and squirmed a little, but then Alfred opened his eyes and held one of the candies up. He shook his head, still blushing. "No, sir. I...I made those for you. You ha—" He blinked in surprise as he suddenly found his mouth full of candy and Alfred's fingers. He coughed softly, then pulled the candy away from the fingers with his tongue and pulled his mouth off of the fingers, sucking as he pulled back.

Alfred felt his face heat up, and not from the fire. Once his fingers were free of Matthew's mouth, he brought them back and quickly tied the handkerchief again. "Thank you, Matt," he mumbled around the candy in his mouth. He slipped the packet of candy in his shirt pocket and stood up. "Time for yours, now!"

Matthew frowned in confusion as he watched the American sprint across the room, reaching for something under the tree. "My present wasn't the...decorations?"

Alfred shook his head and stood up, hiding his hands behind his back. "I always decorate the house like this. That's just what you do on Christmas!"

Matthew nodded and looked around the room again. "...so that's why you hung one of your dirty socks on the mantle?"

Alfred nodded eagerly and sat down on the sofa again. "Yeah. I'm sure Santa will find me again someday. He lost track of me when I moved out here, but someday..."

Matthew covered his mouth with one hand to stifle his laughter. "Don't worry, sir. I'm sure Santa has almost found you. I bet that he'll have something for you next year. For waiting so patiently for him."

Alfred grinned and nodded. "Yeah... You gotta keep the faith, you know? So I'll wait for him, no matter how long it takes. Anyways, here's your present. I hope you like it."

Matthew took the wooden box from Alfred, looking at the horses carved into the lid and sides. He gently ran his fingers over the carvings as he looked at it from all different sides. "It's beautiful, sir. Thank you."

Alfred shook his head and tapped the lid. "Your real present is inside, Matt. But you can keep the box, too, if you really like it that much.

Matthew lifted the lid of the box and pulled out the piece of folded paper. He gently unfolded it and frowned, trying to read the writing. "I...O...U...one...horse?" He raised his eyebrow at Alfred. "What does that mean, sir?"

Alfred grinned widely. "I means I owe you one horse. They're not born, yet, but once the mares drop their foals, you can pick one that you like. To take with your for your farm!"

Matthew just looked at the older man, dumbfounded. "You...you're just...giving me one of your horses? Don't you need to sell those?"

Alfred reached over to ruffle the boy's hair. "Don't worry about it, Matt. I'm just helping my friend get back up on his feet and start a farm, doing what he likes."

Matthew leaned forward and threw his arms around Alfred's neck, hugging him tight. "Thank you, sir! Thank you! I..." He pulled away and looked at the older man with teary eyes, then wiped his sleeve over his eyes, still smiling widely. "I'm sorry that my gift was so...so small. I...I should find something different..."

Alfred reached over and put his hands on top of Matthew's. "Matt. Relax. It's fine. The candy is great. I haven't had candy since I moved away from the city. Thank you. And if I hear any more talk about you doing any more work today, I will tie you up and drop you in your bed for the rest of the day."

Matthew nodded again. "A-alright, sir. Okay. I...I'll just stay here and...and try to relax. Until suppertime." He carefully put the slip of paper back into the box and sat on the sofa, gently stroking the top of the box and staring at the fire.

He finally looked back up at Alfred, serious. "But as soon as the snow is gone, you are building a pen for this nuisance. If he keeps following me around, the chickens will stop laying, the cat will throw out her back, and the cows might have an apoplexy."

Alfred shook his head and reached down to stroke Danny's fur. "Come on, Matt. He wouldn't do anything like that..."

Matthew reached over, grabbed the older man's chin, and looked him straight in the eye. "The other animals all view him as a predator, sir, and he scares them. I'm not entirely sure that he isn't a predator. Please, sir, just build him a pen. Something to keep him away from the other animals."

Alfred finally sighed and closed his eyes. "Okay, Matt. I'll build him something when the snow clears up. But what do you want me to do until then?"

Matthew shrugged and looked down at the dog. "I don't know. Find some way to keep him in the house. Maybe take him to bed with you."

Alfred gave the younger man a flat look. "Matt, I know I'm a Sodomite, but that doesn't mean I—"

"I know, sir!" Matthew said, turning pink. "I didn't mean it like that, sir. I meant...just keep him in your bedroom at night, sir. Then, by the time you wake up, I'm done with chores and all the doors are closed and latched again."

"Okay, Matt. I...I guess I can do that if that's what you want..."

"Yes, sir. Please, sir."

Alfred smiled and reached over to pat his head. "I can never say no to you when you look like that, Matt."

"...look like what, sir?"

"Like you."

Matthew blushed and ducked his head, looking away from the older man, uncertain how to respond. Then he stood up and bobbed his head at Alfred. "I-I'll be back in a few minutes, sir." Then he turned and fled upstairs. He closed the door to his room and sat down on his bed with his eyes squeezed shut.

He reached blindly for his night-side table, felt the string of beads there, and pulled them close to his chest, feeling for the end of the circle. He held the first bead between his fingers and bent his head low, rocking back and forth slightly as he whispered, "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen." He bit his lip briefly as his fingers found the next bead and he started the prayer all over again.


	10. March 13, 1903

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matthew oversees one of the mares about to give birth and ends up in bed with Alfred.

Matthew stood next to Alfred in Sunny's stall, watching the older man feel her stomach, bend over to check her udder, then he finally lifted her tail and examined her genitals. He nodded and gently patted her side. "We're going to have to move her to the loose box, Matt. I think it's going to happen soon. See, if you look down here, there's that white stuff on her nipples, right? That usually happens right before it's time to drop. But not always. But then if you look here..." He lifted her tail again to show the younger man. "...you see that. That's where the foal is going to come out and it gets really big right before she goes into labor."

He lowered her tail again and grabbed onto the side of her harness. "Can you get the doors, Matt?"

Matthew nodded numbly and squeezed past Alfred to open the stall door, then he hurried to the end of the row and opened the door to the large stall on the end, quickly checking to make sure there was enough straw spread on the floor. He watched Alfred walking beside the mare, slowly heading towards him, and he quickly ducked his head and went to fill a feed bucket for her.

Alfred walked the Palomino into the new stall and he took off her harness, hanging it nearby on the wall. "There you go, girl. Just make yourself comfortable. We'll be watching you tonight, so don't worry..." He rested his cheek against hers and stroked her neck a few times before pulling away and leaving the stall. He almost ran into Matthew as he left, but quickly moved out of the way.

He stopped outside the stall and watched the younger man set down the feed bucket. "Don't worry about the water, Matt. I'll go get that. You just set up the cot. And make sure you set up a small fire in a tub or something. Just something to help keep you warm tonight."

Matthew nodded and left the stall again, feeling his stomach flip from the nerves. "Y-yes, sir. Understood."

Alfred turned and left the stable, sucking in a breath at the chilly air outside. He trudged over to the well and dropped the bucket into the water. He waited a few moments for the bucket to fill and then he cranked the handle to bring it back up. He carried it back to the stable and poured it into the bucket hanging from the stall wall. He frowned at the cold temperature of it, then sighed and went to help Matthew set up the cot.

* * *

Matthew laid back on the cot and stared at the ceiling, feeling as restless as Sunny in her new stall. He knew that her restless walking and kicking was normal, but listening to her pace set his nerves on edge. He got up to check on her again, but didn't see any signs of the foal, yet, so he sat back down on the cot. He glanced up at the door to the stable, idly wondering when Alfred would be coming for his shift.

He was supposed to come replace Matthew at one in the morning, but the younger man had no doubts that he would oversleep. He just hoped that he would be able to help the expectant mare if it came to that. He sighed and laid back onto the cot again, propping one foot on the edge of the cot while the other trailed off the side and onto the ground.

He felt the butterflies in his stomach fly in entirely different, and more acrobatic, patterns when he thought about the older blond. He sighed and rolled over on his stomach, gently hitting his head on the wooden cot frame, to distract himself from thoughts of Alfred.

When that didn't work, he reached down off the cot and pulled his rosary from the pocket of his neatly-folded jeans. He held it in both hands as he lay there, draped on top of the cot, and started reciting Hail Mary, still trying to shift his thoughts from images of Alfred, napping in bed, his union suit unbuttoned like normal. He raised his voice as he recited the prayer the second time, trying to think about Mary instead of Alfred, completely naked, standing waist deep in the river as he scrubbed his skin.

He bit his lip hard and moaned softly. Then he took a deep breath and started another Hail Mary, trying to focus on images of the Christ, instead of Alfred stepping out of his hot bath, dripping wet and naked, wrapping a towel around his waist, his chest sparkling with reflected firelight. He finally gave up and dropped his rosary on top of his pants again and rolled over onto his back, feeling his erection strain against his union suit. He unbuttoned the crotch and released it before gently wrapping a hand around it and starting to stroke.

He moaned as he let his imagination run loose, memories flying through his mind. Images of Alfred smiling and riding Goldie, a gentle touch on his thigh as Alfred corrected his riding posture, the strong scent of sex and male seed in Alfred's room, the feel of Alfred's fingers against his tongue on Christmas...

He threw back his head as he stroked, in a plea to the heavens. "Oh, Father in Heaven! Why are you tempting me so! Why did you give me these urges when I cannot fulfill them!" He bit his lip, still stroking, as two tears of frustration ran from the corners of his eyes. He took a shuddering breath, then whispered to the rafters. "Why, Father, why did you bring me here? Why did you make Alfred so attractive?"

He froze when he felt the cot shift under him, then his eyes flew open and he saw Alfred sitting on the edge of the cot, still dressed, smiling down at him. His face turned bright red and he covered his shame with one hand as he tried to shove it back inside his suit. Alfred reached down and grabbed both of Matthew's wrists. "Don't, Matt, it's okay. It's nothing to be ashamed of."

"I...I...but...I shouldn't be...in public..." the younger man stammered, trying to pull his hands out of Alfred's grip. Alfred just pulled the hands up and gently kissed the knuckles, sending a jolt of pure desire through Matthew's body.

"Stop, Matt. Maybe God isn't trying to tempt you. Maybe he brought you here so you wouldn't be alone." He gently tilted one of the boy's hands up and kissed the palm.

"But...but sodomy is wrong. Nng~! God...god destroyed the town of Sodom because...because of this." His hips twitched upwards involuntarily, seeking pressure and friction and release.

Alfred leaned over and kissed the younger man on the forehead, then pressed their foreheads together and looked him in the eye. "But that was a long time ago, Matt. A long time ago. God hasn't destroyed any cities lately, no matter how many Sodomites they have in them. Maybe...maybe he changed his mind."

Matthew felt the barriers in his mind crumble as he felt Alfred's warm lips press against the tip of his nose. Then he eagerly lifted his head to meet them in a passionate kiss. When they broke apart, he reached for the front of Alfred's shirt and started slipping the buttons out of their holes as fast as he could, careful not to break any. In return, he felt Alfred's hands trail down the front of his suit to the gap in the crotch. He gasped as the hand brushed across his erection and he shoved Alfred's shirt open and then around his shoulders.

Alfred ran his fingers up Matthew's bare skin until he hit the buttons of the younger man's union suit. He worked with both hands to undo the buttons, brushing each patch of bare skin as it was revealed. He finally pushed the suit open and bent down to kiss the base of his throat and along his collarbones.

Matthew panted and finally pushed Alfred off and sat up, his nostrils flaring as he tried to control himself. "I...you..." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "You should take your pants off, sir... I...I am very close to release..."

Alfred nodded and stood up, kicking off his boots at the foot of the cot. Then he unbuckled his belt, opened his fly, and he slipped his pants down and off, shoving them under the cot with his foot. Finally, he took off his glasses and set them under the cot as he sat back down again.

He smiled over at Matthew as he fingered the neck of his union suit and started popping the buttons on it, one by one, leaving a few seconds between each button. When he unbuttoned the first of the crotch buttons, he spread his legs and reached in to touch the tip of his erection, his fingers coming away sticky. He heard Matthew moan and noticed his erection give a sympathetic twitch. He finally popped the last button and let his stiff cock fall forward under its own weight.

Matthew blinked and stared at Alfred's erection for a few seconds, feeling his face flush, unable to stop it. Then he leaned forward and kissed Alfred again, his fingers running up the older man's thigh to touch his erection, exploring and memorizing every dip and bump, ever gasp and moan. Alfred reached across the gap and touched the head of Matthew's cock, running his sticky finger along the underside from tip to base and back again.

This time, it was Alfred who broke the kiss, pulling away to look into Matthew's lidded violet eyes. "I have an idea, Matt. Lay down on the cot." He moved out of the way as Matthew nodded and laid back on the cot, his feet just on the edge of the wooden frame. Alfred crawled to lay on top of the smaller man, one leg between Matthews' and the other on the edge of the cot, hanging off the end.

He moved his hips around until he was positioned just right, then he pressed up against Matthew, their erections pressed together, side by side between their two stomachs. Matthew gasped at the strange feeling of another man's slick erection pressed against his own, then he thrust his hips up into Alfred's and moaned lewdly. Alfred smiled at the younger man and leaned down to kiss him, his hand coming up to play with Matthew's stiff nipples as he thrust down against him.

Matthew moaned against Alfred's mouth and felt his mouth falling open from the intense feelings of pleasure. Alfred took advantage and he pushed his tongue into Matthew's mouth, running it over the internal surfaces, a thrill running through his body as Matthew's tongue came up to meet his own.

Matthew thrust up against Alfred repeatedly, his erection straining and leaking fluid, trying to find release, but not finding quite enough friction. Then Alfred leaned to one side as he kissed Matthew's cheek and down his neck. He slipped one hand between them and wrapped it around both erections at once, stroking it up and down. Then he rolled full on top of the younger man and resumed thrusting, harder and faster. He kissed and sucked the skin of Matthew's neck as he thrust, then licked his collarbone.

Matthew tossed his head back again as he thrust into Alfred's hand, moaning loudly. "Ah...ah...oh...oooh..." He pushed his fingers into Alfred's hair and pulled him up to look in his eyes. "Ah...p-please, sir...please...please make me...release...sir!" He gasped then and pressed his lips to Alfred's again, running his fingers down the other's back.

Alfred smiled as he kissed Matthew, thrusting faster into his hand, squeezing tighter around their shafts as his strokes became rougher, squeezed tight on the downstroke and loosening slightly on the upstroke. He grabbed Matthew's head with his free hand and kissed him hard as he felt the body under him tense up, his legs straightening out as the arms squeezed tighter, pressing their chests together. Then he kissed along Matthew's jaw as the tension suddenly released and the younger man shot spurt after spurt of white liquid onto their stomachs.

Alfred gave Matthew a few last gentle strokes before he broke away and sat up on his heels. He used one hand to spread the seed all around his stomach, rubbing it into his skin. Then he moved the hand down and wrapped it around his own erection, starting to pump it hard. He bit his lip on his moans, closing his eyes as he felt the pleasure pool just behind his stomach. His mouth came open all at once, letting out a loud cry as he tensed and then released all over Matthew's stomach.

Alfred fell over on top of Matthew in a controlled collapse. He kissed the boy's flushed cheeks and nose and finally his mouth, brushing the hair from his sweaty forehead. He wrapped his arms around Matthew and kissed him once more. "Relax, Matt. You can rest now. I'll take care of everything, now."

Matthew smiled up at Alfred and gave him a small peck on the chin. "Thank you, sir. For everything. I...I'll find some way to make it up to you..."

Alfred just held Matthew and kept stroking his hair as he fell asleep to the sound of a mare in labor.


	11. March 14, 1903

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matthew meets his new foal, experiences guilt, and then experiences sex again.

Matthew lay draped over the cot, floating in and out of sleep, one arm over his eyes and the other trailing on the ground. He groaned and rolled partway onto one side as he felt something soft brush against his hand, then he opened his eyes as something rough followed it. Rough and wet and warm.

He blinked at the lantern light shining in his eyes, then looked down at saw Abigail licking his fingers, then bumping her head up against his hand. He lifted his hand to scratch her head briefly, then he felt under the cot for his glasses, slipping them on.

He sat up and looked around for a moment, then he blushed and buttoned up his union suit. "Mister Jones? Are you here, sir?"

He heard a grunt from inside the loose box and stood up to look over the wall. He smiled a little as he watched Alfred pull the membrane away from the foal's head and hooves, still dressed in just his union suit and socks. He gently pulled it as far down the body as his could while Sunny rested, her sides heaving.

Alfred reached past the foal and gently patted her hindquarters, still resting on his knees. "There you go, girl. It's okay. The hardest part is over, now. Just take your time..."

Matthew opened the door and slipped inside quietly, standing in the corner to watch Alfred. The mare pushed herself up and curved her neck to look at her new foal for a moment, then she put her head down again to continue. Her legs tensed up, pointing straight away from her body as the foal started moving again. Alfred moved back on his knees to give them room. Matthew pressed farther into the corner to stay out of the older man's way.

The foal started to move its head, picking it up briefly before it dropped back onto the straw. Alfred shuffled around, still on his knees, to check on Sunny, making sure nothing was wrong. With a few strong heaves, the foal was most of the way out, still laying on the ground, looking around curiously. Sunny's legs relaxed again and she twisted her head around to take another look. Finally, still looking back at her foal, she gave one last heave and the foal's legs fell out onto the floor.

Alfred carefully grabbed onto the membrane around the foal again and peeled it down the body, trying to touch the horse as little as possible. He finally freed the rear legs and moved back again, finally standing and moving next to Matthew. "Isn't he gorgeous?"

Matthew nodded, still blushing. "I...uh...I...yes, sir..." He watched Sunny get up on her feet again, the foal's sac still hanging under her tail. She paid it no mind, though, as she turned around and lowered her head, licking her foal clean.

Alfred grinned and slung his arm over Matthew's shoulder, pulling the younger man close. "That's the miracle of life, Matt. Just look how curious he is." Matthew's nose wrinkled involuntarily as he noticed both of Alfred's hands were covered in birthing fluid.

"Umm...sir...perhaps you should go wash up..."

Alfred shook his head. "Can't leave, yet. I gotta keep watching. Make sure he gets up on his feet okay. And make sure Sunny gets rid of that thing hanging from her behind."

Matthew started forward, his hand reaching out. "You can't just...pull it out, sir?"

Alfred grabbed the young man and pulled him back, shaking his head. "No. No. I tried that once. I lost the mare pretty soon after. Now I just leave it alone. So do the other breeders."

"Oh. A-alright, sir. Do...do you want me to fetch you some water to wash in?"

Alfred laughed and looked down at his hands. "It bothers you that much? I don't imagine it's any worse than what you have on your hands most nights."

Matthew blushed deeper and ducked his head. "I...I'll get you some water, sir..." He hurried out of the stable to go draw some water from the well. He came back, carrying the wooden bucket and held it out to Alfred. "Here you are, sir."

Alfred grinned and dunked his hands in the bucket, scrubbing them as clean as he could. Then he pulled his hands out and ruffled Matthew's hair with his still-wet hands. "Better?"

Matthew nodded and set the bucket down. "I...I guess I'll go get dressed now, sir." He left the stall and sat down on the cot, reaching for his clothes, starting to pull them on. He looked up as he felt the cot shift and saw Alfred sitting next to him. "Can...can I help you, sir?"

Alfred turned to face Matthew, his smile flagging a little. He reached out and took Matthew's hand in one of his own. "I...I want you to have him, Matt."

"Have...who, sir?" He stopped buttoning his shirt and finally looked at the older man.

Alfred jerked his head back toward the foaling stall. "Him. He's yours. You can name him, train him, everything. All yours."

"I...is this from Christmas, sir?" His hands resumed buttoning without him looking down once.

Alfred shook his head. "No, Matt. This is...well, this is for all the work you've done for me. To help you get started. If you're starting a horse ranch, you'll need at least one stud... And...and if you're not, you can geld him to use as a plow horse or...or sell him to someone who needs a stud and use the money. Anything, really."

Matthew ducked his head to hide his blush and started pulling his pants on. "T-thank you, sir. I appreciate it."

Alfred reached for his shirt and started idly beating the dust out of it. "You should go...do whatever you need to do. I'll come get you later to show you how to take care of him. You should try to think of a name, too. He looks like he's going to be a Palomino."

Matthew nodded and reached down as he heard Abigail meow, scratching her behind the ears again. "I'll think about it, sir. At least I think Abigail is warming up to me, sir. That's good."

Alfred shook his head. "Not really. She just gets like that sometimes. She'll be back to normal soon." He clapped Matthew on the back. "Now go on. The sooner you finish, the sooner you can get back."

Matthew nodded and stood up. "Yes, sir. I'll be back later, sir."

Alfred pulled on his shirt and left it hanging open as he pulled up his pants, buckled them, and went back to the stall to check on Sunny and her foal.

* * *

Matthew paced back and forth in the kitchen, waiting for the eggs to fry. He stopped every few seconds to check on the food, then resumed pacing. He finally stopped in front of the stove and scraped the eggs onto one of Alfred's tin plates. He then pushed a stack of pancakes next to it with apple butter on top and a piece of fried venison on the side.

He nodded and bit his lip as he poured the hot coffee into a mug, carrying both the mug and the plate in his arms. He shoved the door open with his hip and hurried across the yard into the stable again. Alfred spotted him and smiled, waving him over. "What are you doing back so soon, Matt?"

"I-I just brought you some breakfast, sir. I'll just leave it on the cot here and I'll...I'll get going." He set the dishes on the bed and turned to leave.

Alfred moved over and grabbed the younger man's arm before he could leave. "Wait, Matt. Come here. There's something I want you to see." He pulled Matthew over to the foaling stall and pointed inside. "See?"

Matthew looked down and smiled a little as he saw his new colt tottering around the stall on spindly legs. "He's very cute, sir. I...I should go take care of the other animals now. Your breakfast is on the cot, sir." He ducked his head and hurried out of the stable again, to fetch the milk pail and the egg basket.

* * *

He finally walked back into the stable again once the sun was well up in the sky and he went to stand by the large stall, just looking at the small palomino walking around, much more steady on his feet, now. He rested his chin on his arms as he watched. "Linière," he said softly. "Your name is Linière." He straightened up as he felt Alfred's presence, right before he spoke.

"What kind of queer name is that, anyways, Matt? If he was a kid, the other kids would be beating him up already." He leaned on the wall next to Matthew, watching the foal bump into his mother, then crane his neck to nurse.

Matthew turned to face Alfred with an affronted look on his face. "I think it is a very nice name, sir. It is French for a field of flax, sir."

Alfred just turned to look back at Matthew. "Matt, cut it out with the queer foreign shit. I know you're Canadian and all, but you still lived pretty close to America, so just...yeah."

Matthew spun away from Alfred and went to pick up the empty dishes. "It is my mother's native tongue, sir. Please do not insult her. And by that same logic, sir, you live very near to Canada. Perhaps you should act more Canadian instead, sir."

"Though I guess I should be grateful," the American went on, ignoring Matthew.

Matthew stopped and looked back over his shoulder at Alfred's back. "Why is that, sir?"

Alfred grinned and turned to face Matthew. "Well, if your mother hadn't raised you like she did, last night might have never happened."

Matthew flushed deep red, though he was unsure if it was from embarrassment or anger. He dropped the dishes on the floor by the door and stalked back over to Alfred, trying to decide the whole way whether he wanted to slap or kiss him more. He settled for standing in front of the older man and glowering at him defiantly.

Alfred nodded and clapped his hand on Matthew's shoulder. "Good. You're done with all your chores, then?"

Matthew nodded silently, still glowering at the other man.

Alfred softened his smile and leaned in to give the boy a soft, short kiss on the cheek before pulling away and looking at him with warm eyes. Matthew felt his anger suddenly drain away, leaving nothing but embarrassment in its place. Just when he had finally made up his mind to kiss Alfred back, the other man turned away, leaving Matthew leaning into empty air.

Instead, Alfred opened the door to the stall. "Come on, Matt. Time for you to meet your queer horse."

Matthew frowned at Alfred as he walked into the stall. "His name is not queer, sir."

Alfred leaned against the wall in the corner and looked at the younger man. "Right, Matt. Whatever you say. Just get down on the floor with him and play with him. He needs to get used to being around people."

Matthew closed the door behind him when he noticed Linière heading towards it. Then he got down on his knees in front of the newborn and smiled at him. "Hello, Linière. My name is Matthew. Some people call me Mattieu, though. Either way is fine. I'm going to be working with you from now on, so I hope we get along."

Alfred rolled his eyes. "He's a horse, Matt, not your future wife. All you have to do is let him get your scent, then touch him. Gently. And back off if Sunny starts looking mad."

Matthew stuck out his tongue at the American, making sure the other man couldn't see, but he held out his hand to the colt, letting him sniff it curiously. When he didn't get a fist full of teeth, he gently reached out to stroke the foal's head, following the edge of his white marking, then down his nose and up to his cheek, before stroking down his neck. Then he leaned closer, feeling the horse's breath ruffle his hair as he stroked the gold neck.

Alfred watched Sunny carefully as Matthew pressed his cheek against the colt's short fur, smiling happily. Then he saw the mare stamp her foot and look at Matthew with her ears going back. Alfred quickly pushed off the wall, grabbed Matthew by the back of his collar, and dragged him away from the horses. Sunny then moved closer to the foal, bending down to lick his fur and nuzzle him.

Alfred stopped for a moment to let Matthew stand up, then pulled him out of the stall. "That's probably enough of that for now. She'll get more used to you as time goes by." He sat down on the cot and patted the spot next to him. "Here. Sit down. Now we'll talk about what happens next."

Matthew sat down next to Alfred, with enough space between them to be comfortable. "What happens next?"

Alfred nodded. "Yeah. He'll need to nurse for at least a few months, so you can't leave until then. If you want, though, you can wean him off after about three or four months and he can just live on solids by then. The same thing goes for your other horse."

Matthew nodded, biting the inside of his cheek to focus his attention as he watched Alfred speak, trying not to remember how it felt to kiss the older man

"I've heard that the government is selling land around here for pretty cheap, now, so you could probably pick up some land for a farm that's right near here. Then I could come help you if you needed it. And that way your horses wouldn't have to travel too far. They'll still be babies by then, so you'll have to be careful about how far they travel in a day."

Then Matthew bit the inside of his lip as he realized that Alfred was already making plans for him to leave, even though they had just...just slept together not even twelve hours ago. He flushed and his attention turned inwards, suddenly wondering if all the women in town actually were right. How many times had Alfred done this before? Was...was the kindness all just an act to earn his trust? He quickly shook his head and tried to concentrate on what Alfred was saying.

"You'll probably want to get him used to a harness as soon as you can. Once Sunny trusts you around him, you can take one of the cloth training harnesses and start putting it on him while you're with him. Then, when he's used to that, you can tie one of the ropes to it and use it to lead him around. Just don't pull so hard that he fights. You want him to follow willingly."

Matthew bit his lip and shook his head harder, trying to get rid of the nagging thoughts that were spiraling in on him. Alfred looked up at Matthew, worried, and reached out to hold his hand. "Matt? Is there something wrong?

Matthew just pulled his hand away from Alfred with a jerk and stood up. "I...I need to go out for some fresh air, sir," he said stiffly, trying to keep his voice from cracking. He walked out of the stable with his back straight and his head held high. Then he shut the door behind him carefully and took off toward the forest at a run.

Alfred pushed open the stable door and looked out just in time to see Matthew flee into the words. He cursed to himself, quite colorfully, as he ran back into the stable to get his tack. "Come on, Goldie! Time to go out!" He carried the tack to the stallion's stall and put it on him as quickly as he could. He finally mounted up and patted Goldie's neck. "Come on, boy. Let's go catch Matt and bring him back!

He walked the Palomino out of the stable, then dug his heels into his side, heading off into the forest at a canter.

* * *

Matthew sat on the ground, pressed up against the rocks of the cliff face, his arms around his knees and his face pressed down into his arms. He sobbed quietly while his thoughts whirled around in his head, trying to be heard over the others. Alfred had been nothing but nice to him since he showed up, but what if that was all part of his plan? What if those women actually knew what they were talking about? What if they were right? Well, obviously not about the vampire thing, but all the other things. And even if Alfred wasn't leading him on, it was still wrong. Why had God led him here? Was it just to test his faith? Or was Alfred right? Was he brought here just because he was supposed to be happy? But how could he be happy if what he wanted was so wrong?

He was still sitting in the same spot hours later when Alfred rode through the trees, the same thoughts still running round and round. As soon as he spotted the young man, Alfred pulled his horse to a stop, dismounted, and quickly tied him down before jogging over to Matthew. He dropped to his knees in front of the young man and threw his arms around him, hugging him tightly.

He rested his chin on Matthew's shoulder and rocked in place. "Oh, thank god you're okay, Matt," he whispered, pressing his face into the Canadian's hair. I was so worried when you ran off like that... Please don't ever do that again." He finally pulled back to look into Matthew's eyes. "Why did you run off, anyways? Was it something I said?"

Matthew glared at Alfred, biting down on his lip as he shoved the American away. He quickly scrubbed his eyes with one arm before he looked back at Alfred again. "Yes, sir, it was something you said, sir! First you...you pretended to be nice to me, sir, and you made me trust you! Then...then you tricked me into doing sinful things with you, sir! Wicked, sinful things, sir! And now you're telling me that you want me to leave in three months, sir! Those women were right, sir! You were just trying to take advantage of me, sir!"

Alfred sat back on his heels and just stared at Matthew for a minute, processing everything. Then he just shook his head a little. "No, Matt. I don't want you to leave in three months. Not really. But you want to start your own farm, so you'll have to leave sometime. I'm just trying to help you get ready for when you decide to leave." Then he smiled just the smallest bit. "And I told you not to listen to those women, Matt. They don't know what they're talking about. I...I just want to be friends with you. If you really want, nothing like last night has to ever happen again."

Matthew just looked at him suspiciously. "But...right after we did those things, you were acting like nothing happened and you were talking about me leaving, sir. Like you did not want me around, sir."

Alfred just reached out the gently pat Matthew's hand. "Believe me, Matt, please. Nothing could be farther from the truth. You don't know how long I've wanted someone who wouldn't run away because I'm apparently a filthy heathen who has sex with my horses." He sighed and looked down at their hands. "I just want someone to treat me like I'm a human and be my friend. And, if you wanted to become lovers, I certainly wouldn't refuse." Then he snapped out of his fantasy with a sharp shake of his head. "But you said you wanted to start a farm, so I'm going to give you all the help I can so that you're ready whenever you decide to leave."

Matthew just looked at Alfred for another moment, undecided. Then he lurched up onto his knees and threw himself forward to hug the older man. "I'm sorry, sir," he said into Alfred's shirt. "I didn't mean to worry you, sir. I'm sorry. I...I was just worried that...that maybe I was a...a conquest, sir. That...that you would no longer want me. I'm sorry, sir. I...I was wrong about you. Please forgive me, sir. Please..."

Alfred put one arm around Matthew and held him close while he stroked the wavy hair with his other. "Shh, Matt. It's okay. I'm not mad at you. I was just worried. Well, and glad I found you, too. Come on. Let's get back, okay?"

Matthew nodded and stood up, flushing as his stomach grumbled at him. Alfred just laughed and walked back to Goldie, untying him. Then he stopped, looked at the horse, back at Matthew, and then back to the horse again. "We...we might have a small problem here..."

Matthew just smiled at Alfred and walked to the other side of the stallion, resting his arm on the saddle. "It looks like we'll have to walk, sir."

"...or you could ride in front of me."

Matthew gave Alfred a flat look. "We're walking home, sir. I would prefer not to have a saddle horn up my bum."

Alfred sighed and put his arm over the saddle as well, reaching out to grab Matthew's hand, twining their fingers together. The young man blushed, but just started walking alongside the stallion, hand in hand with Alfred.

* * *

Matthew pulled his legs up under him as he leaned closer to Alfred on the sofa, staring at the fire in the fireplace. "T-thank you for cooking dinner, sir. It...it wasn't that bad."

Alfred slipped his arm around Matthew and grinned. "A resounding note of confidence, Matt."

Matthew just closed his eyes and rested his head on the older man's shoulder. "I'm being sincere, sir."

Alfred rubbed Matthew's back idly for several minutes. He finally turned to look down at the younger man. "Hey, Matt, did you want some dessert?"

Matthew shook his head. "No, sir. You did not make any dessert and I do not feel like cooking right now, sir. I'm sorry."

Alfred just smiled and pulled the handkerchief out of his pocket. "Don't worry, Matt. You already made this dessert. A while ago." He untied the loose knot on the package with one hand.

Matthew opened his eyes and looked up at Alfred, frowning. "What do you mean, sir? I haven't ma-" Then he stopped talking as Alfred pushed another piece of candy into his mouth. He rolled his eyes and sighed, then looked at the American with an unamused look.

Alfred just grinned down at him and wiggled the piece of candy between his fingertips. Matthew sighed again and flicked out his tongue to capture the candy. Then, as revenge, he pocketed the candy in his cheek and sucked the fingers back in as Alfred tried to pull them out. He bit down on them with his teeth bared as he stared up at the American. Then he wrapped his tongue around the fingers and licked them to soothe the pain.

Alfred finally pulled his fingers away when Matthew was done with them, a blush on his cheeks. He then cleared his throat and popped a piece of candy in his own mouth. "That was... What was that, Matt?"

Matthew curled up against Alfred again, looking at the fire. "That was revenge, sir. It is impolite to stick one's fingers into someone's mouth."

Alfred re-tied the package and slipped it back into his shirt pocket. "But it's very hard to resist when the mouth is as beautiful as yours..."

Matthew flushed and looked up at Alfred. "Why are you saying things like that, sir?"

Alfred shrugged and looked down. "Probably because they're true."

Matthew looked back at the fire momentarily, then he swallowed his candy whole and reached up to grab Alfred's hair, pulling him down for a passionate kiss. Alfred froze for a moment before kissing the young man back. When they finally pulled apart, he looked into Matthew's violet eyes. "Are you sure you want to do this, Matt?"

Matthew just pulled Alfred down for another kiss, then moved back just a fraction of an inch, looking at the older man with hooded eyes. "Please, sir. Make me release..." he whispered against Alfred's lips, smiling.

Alfred smiled back and pulled Matthew up onto his lap, kissing him deeply as his fingers immediately found the young man's shirt buttons, starting to pop them open one by one. Matthew just returned the favor, running his fingers from Alfred's chin, down his neck, to caress his chest through the wool suit.

Once he popped the last button on Matthew's shirt, Alfred slipped his hand in a gap between the buttons of his union suit and gently brushed one of his nipples, tweaking it and teasing it until it stood erect. Matthew brushed against one of Alfred's nipples through the union suit, then brought his hands back to the center, starting to open the suit as well.

He swiped his tongue across Alfred's lips before engaging him in another kiss, pushing the union suit open so that his fingers could roam freely across the muscular chest. Then he winced as he felt Alfred forcing the buttons of his union suit open. He pulled away from the kiss and just looked at the older man. "Gently, sir. I don't want to spend my morning searching for buttons."

Alfred just grunted in agreement and opened the suit properly, leaning forward to kiss Matthew's collarbone. Matthew ran his hand through Alfred's hair, gently tugging on it, as his other hand wandered down to feel the other man's stomach, brushing over the bumps of his abs.

Alfred quickly unbuckled Matthew's belt and had his fly undone shortly after, reaching down inside his pants to stroke his erection. Then he pulled Matthew close, kissing him deeply as he shifted both their bodies around until Matthew was laying on the sofa underneath him. He snaked his hand back down into Matthew's pants and popped the last two buttons on his suit so that he could finally wrap his hand around the hard length.

Matthew moaned softly as he felt Alfred's hand on him, stroking him gently but insistently. Then he shook his head, put both hands on the older man's chest and pushed him off, panting and flushed. Alfred looked down at Matthew, plainly confused. "What's wrong, Matt? Don't you want to do this?"

Matthew shook his head, then nodded, then sighed. "I want to do this, sir, but not on the sofa. I...I cannot just wash the sofa, sir. Not like I can wash sheets."

Alfred grinned and nodded. "Got it. Just stay there a second, Matt. I got this." He pushed himself up onto his knees and climbed off the soda. Then he bent over and gathered the smaller man up into his arms, holding him close to his chest.

Matthew blushed and automatically put his arms around Alfred's neck. "W-what are you doing, sir?"

Alfred grinned and leaned down to kiss the tip of his nose. "Escorting you to your bed, Matt. Over my threshold."

Matthew blushed harder, but held onto Alfred tight, smiling. Alfred carried him into the kitchen and then up the stairs to the second floor. He bent down to open the door, but ended up just hitting Matthew's head on the doorjamb.

Matthew released his hold on Alfred's neck to rub the back of his head. "M-maybe you should let me get the handle, sir?"

Alfred nodded and straightened again. "Yeah...yeah that would probably work. Go ahead."

Matthew laughed softly and reached down to open the door. Then Alfred shoved it open the rest of the way with his hip and walked in, setting Matthew down on the bed with a kiss. Then he left the bed to close the door and walk back to the center of the room. Matthew looked over at him with a raised eyebrow. "What are you doing, sir?"

Alfred grinned back at him and slipped one arm out of his sleeve. "This, Matt." Then he pulled the shirt off the other arm and let it drop to the floor. Matthew flushed and reached his hand down to stroke his erection slowly as he watched. Alfred then unbuckled his belt and pulled it through the loops before dropping it on the floor with the shirt. He finally undid his fly and slipped his pants down over his hips, to the floor, sliding his socks off with them.

Matthew stopped moving his hand as he watched Alfred unbutton the union suit the rest of the way, and he pulled it away to hold his arm out to the older man. Alfred wasn't finished, though. He stayed in the middle of the room and pulled an arm out of the suit, then the other arm, letting it fall down to hang from his legs, displaying his entire torso. Then he pulled his legs out, one by one, and stood in the lamplight, completely naked.

Matthew bit his lip and moaned at the sight, feeling his erection twitch. Alfred finally walked back to the bed and laid down next to Matthew, kissing him and pushing his shirt off his shoulders. Then he kissed up Matthew's jaw and stopped right next to his ear. "Fair is fair, Matt. You should take off your clothes, too."

The young man flushed deep red and brought his hands up to Alfred's chest to push him away gently. "A-alright, sir, but you'll need to let me out of bed."

Alfred kissed him one last time and rolled over onto his side to let Matthew free. The Canadian got out of the bed and pulled off his shirt, letting it drop to the ground, completely unable to look at Alfred while he did so. Then he bit his lip and pulled off his pants, wanting to have the ordeal over with as quickly as possible. Finally, he pulled off his union suit and socks, standing next to the bed for examination, covering his crotch with both hands.  
  
Alfred moved to the edge of the bed and reached out, pulling Matthew's hands away. "Don't cover it up, Matt. It's nothing to be ashamed about. I love it." Then he released the boy's hands and moved his hand back, to lightly stroke up the underside.

"P-please don't, sir... It...it's embarrassing..." He stepped away from the American's hand, then climbed back into bed, pressing against him with his whole body.

Alfred put his hand under Matthew's chin and kissed him deeply, then smiled at him. "I wanted to try something different tonight. Is that okay, Matt? If not, we can just do it like last time..."

Matthew looked at Alfred's eager face, then took a deep breath and nodded. "Let's do it, sir." He smiled when he saw Alfred's wide grin and welcomed the kiss.

Alfred kept kissing Matthew as he held onto him tightly and rolled over so that the younger man was laying on his back. After one last kiss, he sat back on his knees and took Matthew's legs in his hands. "Just...just put your legs together, Matt. Like...yeah, like that." He pressed Matthew's thighs together and draped both his legs over one shoulder.

Matthew looked up at Alfred as he worked, trying to figure out what he was doing, but then he felt the tip of an erection press between his thighs and he blushed. "W-what are you doing, sir?"

Alfred pushed himself between Matthew's thighs until he was pressed against the back of the boy's thighs. He took a deep breath and felt it shudder out of his lungs. "Something that I've been thinking about, Matt. And...and it feels so good..." He wrapped one arm around Matthew's leg as he started thrusting between them, enjoying the feel of his legs impacting with Matthew's, the tight, hot, soft skin against his erection.

He moaned loudly and lewdly, thrusting faster between Matthew's thighs, concentrating on the feel of his thighs, the sound of skin on skin. He turned his head to press a kiss to Matthew's calf as he shoved harder between his legs, trying to get even deeper into that tight heat. Then Alfred felt himself fall over the edge and he pressed hard against Matthew's legs, leaning over the younger man as he released himself on Matthew's legs and erection.

Then he sat up again and pulled Matthew's legs off of his shoulder, moaning softly as they fell open to reveal mirrored smudges of white on his thighs. He leaned over to kiss Matthew gently, rubbing the smudge on one thigh in small circles. Then he squeaked in surprise as he felt Matthew flip them both over again, so Alfred was on the bottom. Matthew smiled down at Alfred and leaned down to kiss him. "My turn, now, sir."

Alfred nodded and brought his legs together, but Matthew pushed them open again. "Not yet, sir. Can you please get up on your knees, sir?"

Alfred nodded and smiled up at the younger man before he rolled over on his stomach and pulled his knees up under himself so that his ass was sticking up in the air, just like when he pleasured himself. He turned his head to one side to look back at Matthew. "Like this, Matt?" he asked, pulling his legs together tight.

Matthew nodded and pressed forward, between Alfred's thighs, sucking in a breath as he went. Then he pushed all the way inside and moaned as he felt his tip brush against skin, but softer skin, that swung slightly as he bumped into it. Curious, he reached his hand under Alfred's hips and felt for his penis, then moved to the underside and felt a shock run through his body as his fingers brushed across his tip.

He moaned even louder and starting thrusting between Alfred's thighs, hitting his softening member with every thrust. Which meant that the heavy feeling on his shaft had to be the older man's balls, rubbing against him. He leaned forward to rest on Alfred's back, pressing his face into the skin as he started humping the older man like...like some sort of rutting animal.

Alfred moaned in return as he felt Matthew press against his penis with each thrust, then he reached one hand between his legs and pressed up against the young man's head with his finger, moving in small circles.

Matthew shivered as he felt Alfred's finger rub against him and whimpered. "Please, sir. It...it is hard enough feeling your...your penis, but that is..." He moaned as he kept thrusting, feeling the pleasure quickly build inside of him. "Oh God, sir, please...I can't..." He panted and moaned lewdly, burying his face in the skin of Alfred's back. "Ah, sir. I...ooh...please stop, sir...I'm going to... Oh, sir! Sir! SIR!" Matthew pushed deep inside Alfred's thighs, still feeling the finger on his shaft as he released his seed onto Alfred's penis, his hand, and the sheets under them.

He took a deep breath as he finally pulled out and away from that teasing finger. Alfred rolled onto his back once more and relaxed, so that Matthew could see the white splashes on his crotch. Matthew blushed and immediately ducked his head. "I-I'm sorry, sir! I didn't mean to make such a mess. I...we should clean up, now, sir."

Alfred just grabbed Matthew's arm and pulled the younger man down to lie next to him, kissing his cheek gently. "Leave it, Matt. We can clean up in the morning. You've been awake for a long time, though. You should get some sleep before you collapse."

Matthew yawned and pulled closer to Alfred, nodding. "Yes, sir. I'll try, sir."

Alfred pulled the covers over both of them, kissing Matthew one last time before wrapping his arm around the younger man and closing his eyes. Matthew rested his head on Alfred's shoulder, closing his eyes as well. The last thing they heard before they fell asleep was the unearthly howl of a cat.


	12. April 11, 1903

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alfred tries his hand at baking and Matthew attends a midnight church service, much to Alfred's dismay.

Matthew moved around the kitchen, trying to finish enough cooking for the next two days. With any luck, they would not be home until almost lunchtime tomorrow, and he wanted to be prepared. He walked across the kitchen to check the temperature in the small brick oven, nodding in satisfaction before he hurried back to the table, setting out the bags of flour and baking powder next to the jar of salt and the butter.

He set out a jar for the milk and picked up the bucket to measure it out. No sooner had he started pouring than he felt a pair of strong arms wrap around his waist and felt Alfred's lips press against his neck, just under his ear. He jumped, almost dropping the bucket, then caught himself and set it down on the table, blushing. "W-what are you doing, sir?"

Alfred kissed down the younger man's neck until he reached the top of his collar, then broke away and rested his chin on his shoulder. "I just came to see what you were doing, Matt. I've hardly seen you since we worked the horses together." He smirked and slipped his hand down the front of Matthew's body to his crotch, frowning as he felt neither denim nor the folds that should have been in his pants.

He was still frowning as Matthew pulled his hands away, turning to look at him sternly. Then he looked down at the young man and grinned, fighting back his laughter. "What are you wearing, Matt?"

Matthew looked away from the older man, crossing his arms in front of himself to hide his clothes. "It...it's just an apron, sir. Because it gets messy working in the kitchen, sir."

Alfred reached for the skirt of the apron and picked it up to get a closer look, still grinning from ear to ear. "It has ruffles around the edge, Matt. Where did you even get this? I know this didn't come home with us in November."

Matthew ducked his head further down, blushing harder. "I made it, sir. I...I was tired of getting my clothes getting so dirty every time I cooked, so I made an apron, sir."

"With ruffles, Matt? And...is that embroidery? Flowers, Matt?" Alfred finally lost it and almost doubled over with laughter. "Why, Matt? Why did you put on ruffles and flowers?"

Matthew glowered down at Alfred and pulled the apron away from him. "I was bored, sir, and I thought they looked nice. It is not as if I had anything else to occupy my time during the winter."

Alfred collected himself again and stood up to respond, then caught sight of the angry blonde in his frilly, flowery apron and lost himself in laughter again. "Oh, God, Matt. I can't take you seriously in that thing."

Matthew turned away from the older man and finished pouring out the milk and set the bucket down with a loud thump. "Well, sir, if you cannot take me seriously, perhaps you would like to do the cooking. I trust you know how to make biscuits, sir." He grabbed the bowl off the table and shoved it at Alfred's midsection. When his hands grabbed it reflexively, Matthew released it and turned away. "Good luck, sir, and try not to mess up." He then turned and walked off to check the pot on the stove.

Alfred finally stopped laughing again and looked down at the ceramic bowl in his hands. "...God damn it," he whispered, setting it down on the table, and looking over the ingredients. Then he shrugged and started pouring flour into the bowl then dumped some of the baking powder on top of it. He picked up the jar of milk and poured it on top of the flour, then he dumped in the whole lump of butter and started mixing.

Matthew stood in front of the stove, stirring the pot of beans, watching it carefully. He absently reached out and snagged the jar of sugar off the counter, sprinkling some on top of the beans before stirring it in. He looked over his shoulder quickly to look at Alfred's back. "How is it going, sir?"

Alfred pulled one hand out of the mixture and gave Matthew a thumbs up. "Just fine, Matt. Just a quick question. How should this dough feel by the time I'm done?"

"Sticky, sir. Why?" He frowned and turned, heading back over to the table. He bumped into Alfred as the other man turned away at the same time, smiling.

"Don't worry, Matt. Just go back to what you're doing. I've got this." He pushed Matt back over to the stove, then went to grab the bucket of milk. Matt finally turned back to the beans, albeit reluctantly. Alfred carried the bucket of milk back to the table, pouring some more into the bowl. Then he plunged his hands back in and continued mixing.

Once he judged the dough to be sticky enough, he picked up the jar with the salt, sprinkled some on top, and mixed it in before tasting the result. Then he shook his head and poured in some more salt. After he tasted it again, he tilted his head, considering the taste. Then he poured in a little more salt and nodded, smiling to himself. "There. That should do it, Matt. Now what?"

Matthew moved back to the table, reaching for the dough to taste it, but Alfred swatted his hands away. "Ah-ah, Matt. Don't be greedy. You'll get to taste it when it's done."

Matthew sighed and rolled his eyes. "I was going to make sure you haven't ruined it."

"I haven't ruined anything, Matt. Stop worrying. Now what happens next?"

"You break it up into lumps, sir, and place them on something flat. Then you put them in the oven to bake. You take them out when they tops start turning golden brown." He made another attempt to taste the batter, but Alfred just swatted his hand away again. He shrugged and turned away again, going to stir the beans before they burned.

He stared down at the pot as he stirred, then spoke up as he heard something scrape against the bricks of the oven. "Sir?"

Alfred walked up next to Matthew and looked at the pot, then up at the boy's profile. "What is it, Matt?"

"Do you think you could hook up the cart, sir? I was hoping to go into town this afternoon. Perhaps pick up some things we are running out of..." He kept stirring the beans, not daring to look up at the older man. Yet.

Alfred frowned and leaned against the counter. "Why today, Matt? I figured you would want to go in tomorrow, for the Easter service. Then do some shopping before we come home. Like last time."

Matthew shook his head and finally looked up at the American with a pleading look. "Please, sir. I'd really like to go in tonight. And I'd like to go to the midnight service, if I could..."

Alfred just gave the younger man a disbelieving look. "...it's bad enough having to get up before the crack of dawn for the normal services, Matt. Now you want to go to one at midnight?!"

Matthew twisted his hands in his apron and smiled hopefully at Alfred. "Well, if you think about it, sir, there are some nights we're up until midnight anyways, so we could go in and I'll attend the midnight service, sir, and you could just sleep in the cart. Then we could leave in the morning and be back in time to tend the animals before it gets too late, sir."

Alfred just gave Matthew a piercing look. "Just the midnight service? You wouldn't try to stay for the morning service, too? We leave as soon as we wake up, right?"

Matthew nodded eagerly. "Of course, sir. Whatever you want."

Alfred sighed and reached out to pat Matthew's head "Alright, Matt. We'll go into town. I'll go hook up the cart as soon as I finish these biscuits."

Matthew reached out and quickly hugged Alfred. "Thank you, sir. I'll finish up the rest of the food and then get ready to leave."

Alfred smiled as he turned and walked back to the oven, peering inside. He saw that the dough had turned a darker brown than he had intended and reached in to pull the biscuits out, burning his hand in the process. He stole a quick glance back at Matthew, then quickly shoved the fresh biscuits into the picnic basket before heading out the door.

* * *

Matthew reached under the seat for the picnic basket as the cart swayed back and forth on the rutted dirt path, half falling onto Alfred's lap as they went over a particularly large bump. He coughed, grabbed the basket, and quickly sat up, flushing as he saw the smirk on Alfred's face. "P-please, sir. It was just an accident. I...I shouldn't be thinking of those things before a church service."

Alfred kept grinning and looked over at the younger man. "Thinking of what things, Matt? I'm just driving the cart."

Matthew glowered at the older man, then looked away into the trees. "You know what kind things, sir. P-please don't give me that look, sir..." He quickly looked down into the basket and pulled out one of the biscuits, taking a large bite out of his to take his mind off Alfred.

After a few seconds, he forced himself to swallow his bite and looked down at the slightly burnt piece of bread, then up at Alfred, completely forgetting about the accident. "What did you do to these biscuits, sir?"

Alfred shrugged. "I put stuff in until the dough was sticky and tasted good, then I baked it."

Matthew just frowned down at it. "It tastes horrible, sir. Truly awful."

Alfred just scoffed and glanced over at the young man. "How bad could it be, Matt? Really."

Matthew broke off a piece of the biscuit and reached over to press it against Alfred's lips. Alfred opened his mouth eagerly and took the piece from the boy's fingers, licking the crumbs from the fingers before chewing thoughtfully. Then he looked over at Matthew and shrugged again. "It doesn't taste that bad to me, Matt..."

Matthew gave Alfred a look of sheer disbelief, then held the biscuit out to him. "Then you can have them, sir. All of them. Also, you are not allowed to cook anymore, sir, unless I am in the kitchen to watch you. I can't have you waste perfectly good ingredients like this."

Alfred rolled his eyes as he took another bite from the biscuit. "You're overreacting, Matt. But if you want me to stay out, I'll stay out." He smiled and leaned over to give Matthew a peck on his cheek. Then he pulled the horses up short as he saw the buildings on the very edge of town. "But this is where we stop. Come one. I have to unload these furs and I'm sure you want to go shopping for more embroidery stuff."

Matthew climbed down from the seat and walked around to the back of the cart. "No, sir. I'm going to help you. I don't want to get cornered again. I...I don't think I could lie to those women..."

Alfred downed the last of his biscuit and climbed into the back, picking up a bundle of furs and tossing them at Matthew. The younger man caught them and hoisted them up on his shoulder. Then he held out his other arm to beckon for more. Alfred frowned down at him. "...are you sure, Matt? I don't want to hurt you."

Matthew frowned at Alfred. "I dragged a dead deer home by myself, sir. I don't think another bunch of fur is going to make me collapse." Alfred tossed out the second bundle and Matthew caught it, hoisting it onto his other shoulder. "Thank you, sir. I'll try not to break my back." He blew out a breath and turned to walk into town, the muscles of his shoulders tense with frustration.

Alfred smiled and grabbed the last bundle of furs before jumping out of the cart and jogging to catch up with the younger man. He reached out his arm to slap the younger man on the back. "Come on, Matt. Lighten up. I'm just joking."

Matthew turned to glare at Alfred, still holding both bundles of fur. "With all due respect, sir, you are an ass."

Alfred quickly grabbed the other man before he could turn away and leaned in to give him a chaste kiss before they came in view of the town center. Then he smiled at Matthew and turned to head into town, leading the way to the general store. He held the door open for Matthew before walking in behind him.

The owner peered over curiously, then noticed the furs and came hurrying over. "Hello, Alfred! It's certainly been a while."

Alfred nodded and grinned back at the owner. "I was planning to come in tomorrow, but Matt wanted to come to the midnight Easter service. So we decided to come in and do our shopping, now."

"It's a good thing, too. I won't be open tomorrow." The owner smiled and gestured at the two men to follow him. "Come on in back and I'll look over what you have."

Matthew followed close behind the store owner into the back, listening to Alfred's heavier footfalls behind him. As soon as he entered the back room, he set the furs down with a sigh and rolled his shoulders to work out the knots. Alfred came up next to him and set down the last bundle. "That's all of them." Then he looked over at Matthew and smiled. "You can go take a look around, Matt. You know what we need. I'll be out when we figure this out."

Matthew nodded, giving Alfred a cool look. "Very well, sir. I'll do that." He turned and walked back into the storefront, looking at the items on display. He picked up a few and set them by the register on the counter. Then his eyes found a small jar of brown liquid and he picked it up, looking at it carefully. He glanced around before he carefully cracked the lid open to smell it, closing his eyes and smiling at the familiar smell.

He closed the jar tightly, still smiling, and held it in the crook of his arm, like a child. After staring at it in disbelief for a moment, he continued walking around the store, looking at the items on display. He was still looking around when Alfred walked up behind him. "Find anything good, Matt?"

He turned to face the older man, smiling widely. "I've left most of the things we need by the register, sir, but look what I found." He held up the jar for the American to see.

Alfred frowned and looked into the jar. "What is that? Alcohol? Molasses?"

"Even better, sir." Matthew beamed at him. "Maple syrup!"

"...how is that better? He always has maple syrup in the spring. Molasses is a lot harder to come by." Alfred took the jar and peered into it again. "Though if you really want it, we can get it..."

Matthew bit his lip and hugged Alfred quickly. "Thank you, sir! I...it's been a few years since I got to have any." He took the jar back and rushed back to put it with the rest of the items.

The owner looked up as Matthew set the jar down. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation, young man," he whispered, leaning close. "If you really like it that much, I can show you how to make your own. It's not that hard. I make it for the town and all the farmers around here."

Matthew looked at the much older man with wide eyes. "Really? I...I'd love to be able to make my own, sir!"

The owner nodded and pulled a small metal pipe from the shelf behind him. "This is the spout. What you have to do is find some maple trees, then drill a hole in one, on a small slope, and stick one of these in it. You might have to hammer it in."

Matthew nodded and took the spout to examine it closely. "Alright..."

The owner shrugged a bit. "Then you just hang a bucket from it, cover it to keep out the rain, and just wait. Go through and check them every day or so and bring back all the stuff that's in the buckets. Then you just put it in a big pan and boil it over a fire until it gets thick and syrupy."

Matthew nodded and set the spout down with the other items. "I'll take a few of these, then, too. What kind of time frame can you do this in?"

"Well, you're supposed to start about a month ago, but you still got a bit of time left. You have to take them out when the days start getting really warm, so the trees can heal."

Matthew nodded again and smiled. "Thank you, sir. I think I've got it. I can't wait to try this."

The owner smiled back. "Good luck, son. Anything else?"

Matthew sighed and nodded, brought back to his thoughts of the present. "Yes, can I get a sack of flour, some baking powder, and some more spices? There was a....baking accident earlier."

"Of course, young man." The owner pulled down the baking supplies and measured them out, setting them with the rest of the items.

"I think that's everything we need. Unless Mister Jones finds something else." Matthew ducked his head at the owner. "Thank you, sir."

The owner just waved his hand dismissively. "No need to thank me, son. I'm just doing my job."

Alfred walked up to the counter and looked down at the pile there, frowning a bit. "...are you sure we need all this stuff, Matt?"

The Canadian just looked over at Alfred, crossing his arms across his chest. "You stick me with all the cooking and cleaning and mending and other womanly chores and then you don't even trust me to know what we need?"

Alfred held up his hands, trying to calm down the smaller man. "I didn't mean it like that, Matt..."

The owner just laughed sharply and winked at Alfred. "You'll want to listen to the boy, Al. The wife always knows what a house is out of."

Both men turned to face him at the same time, identical blushes on their face. "I'm not his wife!" Matt snapped at the same time as Alfred said "He's not my wife..."

"I know, boys, but Al... He's right. If you stick him with the woman's chores, let him do the shopping, too. He'll know better than you what you're out of." The owner tallied up the bill on his register as he spoke.

Alfred winced when he saw the total, but he took out his wallet and handed over the cash. "Just...drop it in the back of the cart. We're going to go grab some dinner."

The owner nodded and smiled. "Sure thing. It'll be there when you get back."

Alfred took Matthew's elbow and led him out of the store, heading for the saloon. Matthew looked up at him curiously. "We're going to the saloon for dinner, sir? What about the food in the picnic basket?"

Alfred shrugged and slumped down into one of the chairs. "Well, you just got done telling me how horrible it was, so I figured we should grab something here. Then maybe get a shave and a haircut. I don't know about you, but mine's feeling long after this winter."

Matthew nodded and flushed a little. "I...I suppose so, sir. And...it would be good to look nice for church tonight."

Alfred flagged down the serving girl and ordered two meals. "I thought you'd like that. That should take up a good chunk of time, then there's just a few hours until the service. Though I do have a few ideas how to fill that time..." He smirked over at the younger man.

Matthew just glowered at Alfred, his face turning pink. "No, sir. Not today. Not before a church service."

Alfred just heaved a sigh. "Okay, Matt. Whatever you say. I'll just have to do it on the way home tomorrow."

"You wouldn't dare, sir..."

Alfred just grinned. "Wouldn't I, Matt?"

* * *

Matthew stood up straight and smoothed out his clothes, then looked over at Alfred and smoothed his shirt down as well. "There. That should do it."

Alfred smirked and tucked Matthew's hair behind his ear. "Thank you, Mother. Are we going, now?"

Matthew nodded and walked back into town with his back straight and Alfred walking next to him. He instinctively shrank back a little as they approached the knot of gossiping women, standing just outside of the church.

Alfred put his hand on the small of Matthew's back and leaned over to whisper, "Just ignore them, Matt. You go ahead and sit down. I'll take care of the hens."

Matthew smiled and nodded, straightening up as he walked up to the women. Bette looked up from the group, saw them, and screamed bloody murder. "Sodomite!" she screamed, hiding behind an older woman. "Don't let him bite me!"

Alfred sighed and gave Matthew a small shove. "Bette, calm down. I'm not going to bite you. Even if I did bite people, I wouldn't bite a woman, now would I?" He grinned and gave her a wink. "Now if you don't mind, I have a church service to attend."

One of the other women watched him walk away with narrowed eyes. "It's a miracle of God's mercy that he doesn't burst into flame every time he walks through that door."

Alfred just rolled his eyes, heaved another sigh, and took the seat next to Matthew. "God, those women are annoying."

Matthew just elbowed him in the side and shot him a glare. "You should not take the Lord's name in vain, sir. Especially not in a church."

"Okay. Okay, I'm sorry, Matt. I won't do it again..." He crossed his arms and settled back into his seat to wait for the service to start.


	13. April 12, 1903

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matthew attends a second church service on Easter, then proceeds to sin again as soon as he leaves.

Alfred stretched his arms over his head and yawned as he walked back to the cart. Next to him, Matthew was still wide awake and bright eyed, walking with a bounce in his step and a smile on his face. "Wasn't that a wonderful service, sir? So inspiring!"

Alfred just grunted, concentrating on his footsteps so he didn't trip over anything. Matthew just looked at him, biting his lip a little bit. "I-in fact, sir, I had a small question to ask..."

Alfred stopped for a moment, on the edge of town. "What is it, Matt? Can it wait until we get to the cart?"

Matthew nodded. "Yes, sir, but I want to talk before we go to bed..."

Alfred just nodded and started walking again, looking at the road. "Good. I can't walk and talk right now."

Matthew was about to point out that he had just spoken while walking, then just shrugged and hurried out to the cart, leaning against the side to wait for the older man. His head came up when he heard Alfred's dragging footsteps and smiled nervously.

Alfred stopped in front of the young man, rubbing his eyes and yawning again. "What is it, Matt?"

Matthew clasped his hands behind his back, smiling at the other man. "I was just wondering...if I could go to the morning service, too?"

Alfred sighed and rubbed his forehead for a moment, the looked at Matthew again. "I thought we agreed we wouldn't go to the morning service, Matt..."

Matthew reached out and put his hands on Alfred's shoulders, giving him another pleading look. "Please, sir. You don't have to come with me. You...you could just sleep in and I could go without you, sir. Please?"

Alfred pushed the young man's hands off his shoulder. "Fine. Yes, Matt, we can go to the morning service if you want. Now I need to sleep if there's any chance I'll be awake for it." He climbed up into the back of the cart and laid down on his side, his head pillowed on Matthew's pack.

Matthew climbed up after him and lay down next to the older man. "You really don't have to come if you don't want, sir." He moved closer and buried his head in Alfred's chest.

Alfred put his arm around Matthew's shoulders and rested his chin on the Canadian's hair. "Yes, I do. Otherwise they'll think I'm a complete heathen."

"...I think they already think that, sir. Good night."

Alfred kissed the top of Matthew's head. "Good night, Matt."

* * *

Matthew woke up blinking as the sunlight hit his face. He carefully pulled away from Alfred before sitting up and stretching out the kinks in his back and shoulders. He glanced over to make sure the older man was still asleep before he slid off the cart and walked off to relieve himself in the bushes.

When he came back he found Alfred standing next to the cart in his union suit, his back to Matthew, with his old clothes tossed haphazardly on the cart bed. The new outfit Matthew had packed was sitting next to the pack, still folded neatly. "I see you came prepared. How long have you been planning this, Matt?"

Matthew flushed as he saw the growing puddle in front of Alfred. "I...do you have to do that while we're speaking, sir?"

"Just answer me, Matt," he said, not looking up.

Matthew looked away to give the older man some privacy. "J-just a few days, sir... We...we can still be home shortly after lunchtime. We'll still have time to take care of all the animals before supper time."

Alfred turned back to Matthew, still tucking himself back into his suit, smiling a little as he saw the flush on the young man's face. "I've already agreed to go, Matt.  You don't need to keep convincing me." He buttoned up his suit and stepped close to the other man and grinned. "But we should go get dressed now, right? Dressed and ready to go."

"...why are you smiling like that, sir?" Matthew asked, frowning.

Alfred grinned wider and grabbed Matthew's arms, pulling him back to the cart. "No reason, Matt. I just figured I would return the favors... I mean, you help me so much, I should help you sometime, too, right?" He brushed his hands across the boy's shoulders and started unbuttoning his shirt, staring at Matthew's face as he worked.

Matthew turned a deeper shade of red as he watched Alfred's hands. "I...I can dress myself, sir."

Alfred pulled the his shirt out of his pants and gently pushed it off his shoulders, then arms. "I know, Matt. So can I, but you keep helping me dress. I'm just returning the favor." He tossed the wrinkled shirt into the back of the cart before he dropped into a crouch, his hands trailing down Matthew's stomach to unbuckle his belt.

Matthew choked back a cry and tried to push Alfred's hands away, but the American kept bringing them back again, to unbutton his fly. "P-please, sir! Don't do this! Not before church!"

Alfred looked up at Matthew as he slipped the pants down to his ankles. "Don't do what, Matt? Get dressed? I didn't peg you for the kind to go to church naked..." He gently lifted one of Matthew's feet off the ground and pulled the pants leg off. "Or do you think I'm going to do something...dirty, Matt? Like maybe unbalance you so you end up on your back in the cart..." He lifted the other leg, with difficulty, and slid the pants off fully, standing up to toss them in the cart.

"Then maybe crawl up behind you and unbutton your union suit..." He kept talking as he grabbed the leather pack and pulled out the second outfit inside of it. "Then start kissing you, licking your jaw, your neck..." He shook the wrinkles out of the shirt and held it up for Matthew to slip his arms in.

"Before I licked anything dirty, I would kiss you again and lay down on top of you, pressing against you..." He grinned as he heard a soft whine escape Matthew and looked up to see the younger man biting his lip. He looked back down at his hands and started buttoning the shirt, working from the bottom up. "Then I'd sit up and take us both in one hand and rub..."

He grabbed Matthew's pants from the cart and crouched down again, unfolding them. "Then maybe I'd take my other hand and I'd play with them, spreading that liquid farther down, making my hand move easier, faster..." He picked up the boy's foot again, like a horse, and slipped the whole pantleg on, to rest around his ankle. "Then we would both tense up and that little thing inside would snap...and we would release..." He took the other foot, then, and slipped it inside the pants, smirking as he saw the bulge in Matthew's union suit growing.

"Then I could clean us up with my old shirt and we'd both get dressed and go to church like nothing ever happened. Is that what you thought I would do, Matt?" He pulled the pants up, lightly brushing over the bulge as he buttoned up the fly. "Or maybe you would rather have me bent over the cart while you pushed yourself between my thighs... You seem to like taking me from behind, like an animal..."

Matthew squeaked as he felt the belt pull tight around his waist and looked down at Alfred with a red face and lidded eyes. "P-please, sir..."

Alfred stood up and grabbed his own shirt off the cart, pulling it on quickly. "What is it, Matt? Did you change your mind?"

Matthew bit his lip hard and took a deep breath of the cool morning air. "I...n-no, sir. Please stop talking like that, though. It...it would be disrespectful to...to think of such things in the house of the Lord..."

Alfred nodded, buttoning his shirt up. "Of course, Matt. You should definitely try to clear your mind before the service. Maybe relieve some of the pressure on your pants..." He pulled up his own pants, glancing back at the bulge in Matthew's.

Matthew shook his head violently. "No! I...I can overcome this. I just...I just have to think of something unattractive. Like...like mucking out stalls." He leaned against the cart and squeezed his eyes shut, trying to will his erection away.

Alfred threaded his belt back through his pants and pulled it tight. Then he smirked and walked to stand in front of Matthew, leaning close without touching him. "Time to go to church..." he whispered huskily. Then he leaned forward the rest of the way and kissed Matthew on the nose as the boy's eyes flew open. He leaned back and grinned at Matthew, then turned and headed into town.

Matthew pushed off of the cart and hurried to catch up to the older man. As he hurried in to town, on his way to the church, he saw someone come out from behind a corner. Before he could stop himself, he ran into her and they both went down in a tangle of skirts. He put out his hands to catch himself and ended up pinning her arms to the ground. Then he heard Bette's high-pitched scream, right in his ear.

She looked up at him with wide eyes, then started thrashing her head back and forth, screaming. "Let me go! Let me go!"

Matthew flushed, looking confused. "Ah...I...I'm sorry, miss. I didn't mean to...to run into you..." He pushed himself up onto his knees, trying to untangle his legs, but Bette's scream had attracted her friends, and the other women converged on both of them in a rustle of skirts and more than one parasol hoisted in the air like a weapon.

"What have you done to her?" one of them demanded, waving her parasol for emphasis.

"I-I just bumped into her, ma'am. I'm sorry. Please. I just want to get to church!" He held up his hands, trying to stand up.

Another woman gasped and gave him a scandalized look, then stalked forward and shoved him backwards, glaring at him. "Fine! Go to church, for what good it might do your perverted soul!" She snorted and turned her back on him. "Trying to take advantage of a maiden like that... The nerve!" She reached her hand down and helped Bette to her feet again

The other women lowered their parasols, but gave him uniform dirty looks. Finally, the oldest of the group pointed her finger at him, shaking with both age and rage. "I hope you burn in hell for your sins, boy. And you'll be lucky if God doesn't strike you down as soon as you enter His house."

Matthew stood and continued on his way to the church, still blushing. He quickly hurried into the church and took his seat next to Alfred, covering his lap with both hands.

Alfred looked over at him, eyebrow raised. "Is something wrong, Matt?"

Matthew just shook his head, unable to look the American in the eye. "N-nothing, sir. I just ran into the...the women again."

"Do you need me to talk to them?"

"No, sir. Please be quiet, sir..." he turned his gaze on the pulpit as the pastor stood behind it.

* * *

Matthew stood up and hurried out of the church as soon as the service was over, still flushed. Alfred stood up and hurried after him, waiting until they were out of earshot before he moved closer to the young man. "What's wrong, Matt? Last time you stayed  behind."

Matthew shook his head, still hurrying to the cart. "N-nothing, sir. I just...I need to get out of here. Into the clean spring air..." He climbed up into the seat, still not looking at Alfred. Every time he caught a glimpse of the man, even from the corner of his eye, Alfred's words replayed in his head. All through the church service, the only thing he could think of was bending the older man over the pew and...and engaging in carnal relations with him. It had not helped his erection any.

To make it worse, if he had run into any of the women, they would have assumed that his erection was from being on top of that girl and...and he did not want to have to explain himself. Not really.

Alfred cinched the last strap around the horses and climbed up to the driver's seat, taking the reins and slapping the horses' back to get them moving. He swayed a bit as the cart lurched forward, starting its side to side motion. Then he took a moment and looked over at Matthew, concerned. "Are you sure there's nothing wrong, Matt? Your face is pretty red. Are you feverish?" He reached over with one hand to feel the young man's forehead, then cheek.

Matthew flinched away from Alfred's hand. "I...I think I'll go lay down for a bit, sir. To see if I feel any better..." He turned and climbed over the seat into the back of the cart, lying down with his face buried in the sack of items they were bringing back.

Alfred drove on, looking back at Matthew every few minutes, but the redness in the young man's face didn't go away. He finally stopped the cart, about halfway home, and crawled into the back, kneeling next to the younger blond. He reached out and pushed his hair off his face, feeling the skin again. "Matt, what's wrong? You can talk to me. You know I won't bite. At least not outside of bed..."

Matthew opened his eyes and looked up at Alfred, blushing a deeper red as his mind supplied images of Alfred bent over in front of him, his thighs pressed together, inviting him to plunge in between them, enveloping him in their warmth. He whimpered and pressed his face down into the sack again, feeling his erection stir and press forward painfully.

Alfred reached down with both hands and turned Matthew's face back to him, frowning with concern. "What is it, Matt? Do I need to go back and get the doctor?"

Matthew's eyes went wide and he tried to shake his head. "N-no, sir! Please don't do that! I'm fine...."

Alfred frowned down at Matthew, his eyes getting hard. "Like hell you are, Matt. Now what's wrong?"

Matthew looked off to the side, feeling like his face was about to burst into flame. "I...sir...it's just that...all those things you said...I...I can't stop thinking about them and...and now..." He pulled his face out of Alfred's hands and got up on his knees so that the older man could see the bulge in his pants.

Alfred's eyes immediately went to Matthew's pants and found the bulge there, then he looked up, smiling. "Why didn't you say so sooner, Matt? I would have been more than happy to help you with that." He felt his own member start swelling at the thought of doing those things with Matt...in the back of their cart...in the middle of the forest...

Matthew blushed and tried to move away. "W-we can't, sir. We're in public. What if someone sees us?"

Alfred grabbed the young man's arms and pulled him close, giving him a passionate kiss. Then he pulled away, his face flushed pink, and grinned. "No one will see us, Matt. We're in the middle of the forest on Easter Sunday. Now come on. You need to relieve some of that pressure and now I do, too."

"B-but, sir..." he tried to protest, only to find his mouth captured in another kiss. When Alfred pulled away, he looked at the young man pleadingly. Matthew sighed. "A-alright, sir, but we should make it fast... I still think someone might see, sir..."

Alfred grinned and kissed Matt again. "Don't worry, Matt. I have an idea. It will be kinda like old times." He brushed his hand lovingly down the boy's chest and popped open the buttons on his fly, brushing against him through the fabric. When Matthew made no move to do the same, he took the Canadian's hand and placed it on his own bulge. "Come on, Matt. Work with me..."

Matthew shook his head to bring himself back to the real world and started opening Alfred's fly. Once the buttons were undone, he pushed it open and popped the buttons on his union suit, biting his lip as he wrapped his hand around Alfred's erection.

Alfred moaned as well, leaning forward to give Matthew an open-mouthed kiss as he freed the boy's member, teasing it gently with his fingertips. Then he wrapped one hand around it and started pumping up and down the shaft, moving his other hand to gently play with the tip.

Matthew pulled away from the kiss to cry out, then he bit his lip and started moving his hand shyly on Alfred's erection. "I...sir...that feels...aaaahh..."

Alfred leaned forward to lick Matthew's earlobe, then whispered "Harder, Matt. Do me harder. Your hand feels so good, but I need more..." He gave his hand a squeeze as he stroked Matthew, then released the pressure back to normal.

Matthew cried out again and squeezed his fingers tight around Alfred, reaching out his other hand to gently rub the head, spreading the liquid around and rubbing around the edge of the head, pressing and rubbing against the sensitive spot on the underside, just under the head.

Alfred moaned loudly, his mouth still next to Matthew's ear. "Oh god, Matt. Yes...just like that...more...harder...!" He pressed his lips to the edge of the boy's jaw and kissed along it eagerly, then down the front of his neck before giving him another open mouthed kiss. He pumped his hand faster, cupping his fingers over Matthew's head as he worked the sensitive spot with his thumb, already feeling close to release.

Matthew whimpered into Alfred's mouth as he kissed him back, thrusting his hips into the older man's hand, feeling close...so close... He bit down on Alfred's lip, hard enough to draw blood, as his body tensed up, shuddering. Then he felt his body release as he relaxed again, letting go of Alfred's lip, still blushing. "I-I'm sorry, sir..."

Alfred rolled his hips up against Matthew's hand, his nostrils flared and his eyes lidded. "Again, Matthew. Do it again!"

"W-what, sir?" He looked at the other man with wide eyes.

"Bite me, Matthew. Bite me again. Hard!" He panted, staring deep into the boy's eyes.

Matthew bent his head down and kissed Alfred's neck gently before sinking his teeth into the skin, listening to him moan. "Harder, Matt!" He closed his eyes and bit down harder as he frantically pumped his hand, pulling his second hand away as Alfred tensed up, his seed shooting out of him to land on his shirt, his pants, Matthew's pants, and Matthew's hand. The Canadian finally released Alfred's neck and sat back, blushing.

Alfred grinned and picked up his hand, covered in Matthew's seed, and started licking it clean. Matthew just watched, fascinated and horrified, as the white globs disappeared past his lips. "W-what are you doing, sir?"

Alfred licked the last of Matthew off his hand and licked his lips. "Just cleaning up, Matt. I know how you hate being dirty..." He licked a few stray drops off his other hand before looking down at himself. He scooped up the blobs on his shirt, licking them off his fingers, then he reached for Matthew's hand.

Matthew pulled his hand away, completely horrified, now. "Y-you can't do that sir! It's unclean! It will make you sick!"

Alfred reached farther forward and grabbed his wrist, bringing it back down. "Don't worry, Matt. I've done this plenty of times. It won't make you sick." He held the hand in front of his face and reached out to lick it clean. Matthew whimpered and squeezed his eyes shut, not wanting to watch the older man down any more seed.

He finally felt his hand drop to his lap and looked over. Alfred grinned back at him, tucking himself away and doing his fly back up. "There, Matt. You should feel better, now. I know I do." He buttoned his last button and quickly leaned forward to kiss the young man before he climbed back into the front seat again.

Matthew pulled away from the kiss, but still tasted the slick, salty slime on his lips. He quickly licked them clean, shuddering at the taste, then put himself away and climbed up to sit next to Alfred again. "...please don't ever eat my seed like that again, sir..."

Alfred just grinned at the young man for an answer and started the horses moving again.

* * *

Matthew led one of the cows out into the center aisle and tied her to the posts. Then he looked back at Alfred, hanging back in the doorway. "Well, come on, sir. If you're awake, you are going to help me with these 'women's chores'." He leveled a glare at the older man. "You can either milk or muck, sir. Which do you prefer?"

Alfred looked between the cow and the empty stall, then he sighed and picked up a pitchfork, walking to the stall. "I'll muck out the stalls, then. The cows seem to get on better with you."

Matthew nodded and sat down on the small stool, setting the bucket under the cow. Then he gently patted her side before he reached down and started to squeeze, watching the milk shoot into the bucket in small streams. He looked down and smiled as he heard a plaintive mew. He looked down into Abigail's green eyes. "Alright, girl. Just a second."

He reached behind himself and pulled a small tin out of the straw piled against the stall, then placed it under the cow's udder and filled it full of milk. He set it down on the ground and went back to milking the cow, watching Abigail eat with a smile.

Alfred carried the dirty straw out of the stall and frowned as he saw Abigail licking milk from the tin. He dumped the straw and walked over to Matthew, looking down at him. "Matt, have you been feeding Abigail?"

Matthew looked up with a blush. "I...I...not really, sir. I just give her a little milk every day..."

Alfred crouched down to peer at the cat, who ignored him in return. "She's looking pretty fat, Matt. Maybe you should lay off the milk. If she gets all her food from you, she won't hunt mice and I need her around for mousing."

Matthew shrugged. "If you say so, sir... But I don't think I'm giving her enough milk to feed her for a day..." He idly reached out and scratched behind her ears as she ate, smiling as she purred under him. Then he saw the disapproving look on Alfred's face and went back to milking.


	14. May 23, 1903

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laundry is suddenly the sexiest chore ever and Matthew adopts a kitten.

Matthew finished milking the cow and sat on his stool, looking around for the cat. He whistled quietly as he put the cow back in her stall, keeping his eye on the ground. Finally, though, he heard a demanding meow from the hayloft. He smiled to himself as he filled the tin and started up the ladder.

As soon as he poked his head into the loft, he saw Abigail lying on her side with a clump of kittens all trying to get at her stomach. He climbed the rest of the way up and set the dish in front of her, reaching down to gently scratch her ears. "So this is where you've been. I was starting to get worried."

Abigail just gave him a brief look before lowering her head and starting to drink. He stayed next to her, gently petting her for a minute before he heard a softer mew and looked around again. He spotted another kitten, several feet away from Abigail, crawling towards her slowly and shakily, mewing plaintively.

He crawled over so he was between Abigail and the kitten, then reached out and picked up the kitten, gently cupping it in his hands. He stroked its head with a smile, then bent down to kiss the head gently. "You're a cutie," he whispered to it and turned to face Abigail. "It's too bad you're so skinny. Come on. Over to Mum you go..." He set the kitten down right next to the others and watched it fight for a place to nurse.

He smiled and went back to the ladder, starting down again. "I'll come check on you again, Abby. Later on today. Take good care of them, now." Then he set the stool back in its corner, picked up the milk bucket and the basket of eggs and headed inside the house to make breakfast, before Al woke up.

* * *

Matthew stood in the corral, holding Linière's lead line, gently leading him around the field, smiling and murmuring encouragement to him. After several minutes, he finally let the line go slack as he walked up to the colt. He crouched down, still praising the young horse, and started stroking his head and neck as a reward. "Good boy, Linière... You're doing well. I love you..."

He was still on the ground with his horse when Alfred walked up behind him and tapped his shoulder. He looked up at the older man and started to get up. "What is it, sir?" he asked, twiddling the lead rope between his hands.

Alfred smiled over at the young man. "It's just time for him to go back to his mother, Matt. Then I've got a few ideas to keep us busy until suppertime."

Matthew nodded and gently tugged on the lead line, walking back to the stables. "So do I, sir. Have ideas, I mean."

Alfred grinned at him and leaned over to kiss his cheek, putting an arm around his shoulder. "Maybe we should talk it out and see which idea is better..."

Matthew stopped in front of Sunny's stall and took the halter off Linière, giving him a gentle push inside the stall. Once he had closed the door and hung up the halter next to it, he turned to Alfred with a smug smirk. "Well, frankly, sir. I think my idea has more merit."

Alfred leaned close to whisper in Matthew's ear. "But you don't even know what my idea is, yet, Matt..."

Matthew pushed Alfred away and ducked under his arm and out, heading for the door. "Yes, I do, sir. But we still have chores to do. Those sorts of activities should be saved for the evening, sir."

Alfred sighed and followed behind Matt, his shoulders drooping. "More chores? What else is there to even do? We've already taken care of the chickens, the cow, and the horses. What else is left?"

"Well, first of all, sir, have you fed your dog today?" Matthew looked back at him with a raised eyebrow as he walked into the house.

Alfred sighed and shook his head. "No... I'll go do that, now..."

Matthew nodded and smiled at him. "Very good, sir. While you're doing that, I'll start heating up the laundry tub. When you're done with the dog, will you please bring all the dirty clothes down, sir? I am running out of clothes and I've noticed that you've worn that same outfit two days in a row, so you must be out of clothes."

Alfred gave the younger man a dirty look. "I'm not out. Though no thanks to you. Those clothes should have lasted me for months. Not one month."

Matthew just nodded and took the large tub off its hook. "Exactly, sir. So we're doing laundry today. And you will help me this time, since all the other chores are taken care of."

Alfred heaved a heavy sigh. "Alright. Fine, Matt. I'll help you with the laundry..." He picked up some pieces of smoked meat and headed out to feed Danny.

Matthew grabbed his new washboard on the way out of the house, setting both of them on the fire pit and going to fetch water. As he carried the last bucketful to the tub, he saw Alfred come out of the house with his arms full of clothes, looking unhappy about being forced to participate this time.

Alfred walked up and dumped the clothes on the ground near the fire pit with a grunt. "There. That's all of them."

Matthew kissed his cheek quickly, then started stacking wood in the fire pit. "Thank you, sir. Could you go hang the lines, now, then go fill the small tub for rinsing?" He grabbed the flint and steel out of his pocket and lit the tinder on fire, slowly coaxing the fire to take hold of the logs.

He stood next to the tub and added cleaner to it as the water started simmer, then dumped the first load of clothes in and rolled up his sleeves as he prodded them with a stick. Alfred stood next to him with the second tub for rinsing, sighing impatiently and shifting from foot to foot.

Matthew pulled out the first piece of clothing on his stick, took it in hand, and scrubbed it against the washboard with a vengeance, trying to make up for all the times he had to wash them against river stones. Perhaps it was just his imagination, but he thought that the shirt already looked cleaner. He wrung out the wash water and handed it over to Alfred.

Alfred snatched the shirt away from Matthew and quickly dunked it in the cool rinse water, sighing at the relief from the building steam cloud. He wrung it out again before hurrying away from the fire pit, taking a deep breath of normal, non-humid air. He hung it on the line, spending several seconds adjusting it before he headed back into the cloud. He felt sweat, or perhaps steam, build up on his face as he stood next to Matthew, then run down his neck into his collar.

Matthew hummed a working song to himself as he pulled out another shirt to scrub, not noticing as Alfred unbuttoned his shirt and peeled it off, tossing it on the pile. Alfred glanced quickly at Matthew to make sure he was still busy, then he pulled off his boots and threw his socks in with the rest of the clothes. Before he could get to the pants, though, the boy turned around, holding out the shirt.

Alfred saw the blush appear on Matthew's face, so he grabbed the shirt away and spun around to rinse it out quickly. While he was still bent over, he felt the tension in the air just snap. "What are you doing, sir?!"

He stood up and turned to face the young man, wringing out the shirt. "I'm doing laundry, Matt. Like you wanted me to?"

Matthew glowered at the older man, his face burning up. "Please, sir! Leave your clothes on! Please show some common modesty, sir!"

Alfred just shrugged and gave the shirt a shake. "It's hot in here, Matt. I can't go around wearing a wool suit and a full suit of clothes inside this damned steam."

"But you can't be naked in public, sir! It is indecent!" He quickly looked away from the older man, turning back to his tub.

"I'm not naked, Matt. I've still got on my pants and this God damned wool suit. Besides, it's nothing you haven't seen before. Either on me or on yourself." He reached out to touch the boy's shoulder, but Matthew jerked away from him, still not looking back.

"It is indecent, sir, and it is dirty. I should not be looking at you when you're naked."

Alfred shrugged and turned away. "Have it your way, Matt, but I could swear that you're looking at me naked every time you climb on top of me in bed and start rubbing against me..." He grinned and strolled out of the cloud, leaving the younger man alone with that train of thought.

Matthew scowled and jabbed the laundry in the tub, trying to ignore the mental images Alfred's comment called up. He grumbled and muttered, then picked up a pair of jeans and started scrubbing, wondering where the older man had disappeared to. Just as he turned to rinse the shirt himself, he saw Alfred materialize out of the steam, naked as the day he was born, and drop the rest of his clothes on the pile. "S-sir, please! Put your clothes on! I...I should not be seeing you naked!"

Alfred grabbed the pants from Matthew's hand as the younger man covered himself with his arms. "Relax, Matt. I'm naked. It's not like I'm going to rape you." He grinned at the Canadian before turning around and dunking the shirt in the cool water. "You should try it, too. It feels much better with all this heat..."

Matthew turned away from Alfred, feeling the pressure in his pants growing. "I...I can't do that, sir. P-please put some pants on, sir. At least some pants?"

Alfred stopped wringing the shirt and dropped it in the tub. "Why, Matt...are you...?" He grinned and reached for Matthew's shoulder, turning him around. "Are you aroused, Matt?" He pulled the young man close and put his other hand behind Matthew's neck as he kissed him gently. He looked the Canadian in the eye as he shifted his leg to rub the bulge.

Matthew closed his eyes and bit the inside of his lip, moaning softly at the friction against his erection. Then Alfred took the lip in his mouth and pulled it away from Matthew's teeth, sucking and nibbling on it before kissing the young man again. "Do you want relief, Matt? I can give it to you..."

Matthew looked into the American's eyes, face red and panting, then shook his head. "I...I shouldn't...in public...sir...indecent...I..." He looked back into the other's grinning, eager face. "I...I...yes, sir. I...want relief, sir... Please..."

Alfred smirked at him. "Whatever you want, Matt. There's just one condition. If you want relief, you have to be naked..."

"I...I...sir...I..."

Alfred put a finger to his lips to silence him. "It's okay, Matt. Just relax. I'll help you. With everything..." He trailed his finger down the young man's chest, to stomach, and then down his crotch.

"Y-yes, sir. Please..." Matthew moved away from the firepit, so as not to get hurt, then kissed Alfred.

Alfred opened his mouth and slowly moved his tongue inside of the young man's mouth as his fingers started unbuttoning the shirt as fast as they could. He trailed his kissed up over Matthew's cheek, then down his jaw to his chin as he pulled the shirt out of the boy's pants. Then he used one hand to tilt Matthew's head up and trailed kisses down the underside of his jaw, stopping to lick his Adam's apple as he slipped the shirt off, tossing it on the pile of dirty laundry.

Matthew moaned and brought his hands up to run through Alfred's hair, tugging on it gently as he felt the teeth scrape against his neck. Alfred brought his hands up and unbuttoned the top of the union suit, next trailing kisses down over Matthew's collarbones to the hollow of his neck, and then down between his chest muscles. He pushed the front of the suit open and then off Matthew's shoulder, licking across his chest to suck and tease one of the boy's nipples.

He trailed his mouth over to the other nipple, giving it the same treatment as he unbuckled Matthew's belt, dropped it on the ground, and started unbuttoning his fly. Matthew kept his hands in Alfred's hair as the other man left his nipple and kissed his way past Matthew's ribs, to press against his abdomen. Alfred lifted the boy's leg off the ground, quickly pulling off the boot and sock before letting go of it. Then he stuck his tongue into Matthew's navel, lifting his other leg to remove the footwear.

He tossed the socks on the pile and pulled Matthew's pants down around his ankles, then off as the young man lifted his feet, one after the other. He smiled up at Matthew, gently patting his stomach with one hand. "Good boy, Matt... You're doing fine."

"Please, sir! Just...just hurry up!" Matthew felt his fingers convulse again as another wave of pleasure went through him. Alfred just pressed his lips against the young man's stomach again as his fingers popped the last few buttons on the union suit, pulling it down and off Matthew's body.

He looked up at Matthew's face, currently radiating need, and smirked before looking back down at his erection. He gently wrapped his hand around it, stroking it a few times, then he leaned forward and licked up the underside, all the way to the tip, pressing the tip of his tongue against the small hole there.

Matthew's eyes flew open wide and he looked down at Alfred, his body tensing up. "W-what are you doing, sir?! You...you can't lick that! It's dirty, sir! You can't...! No...." he trailed off into a moan as he felt Alfred's mouth close over the tip, sucking on it as his tongue ran around the bottom of the head, moving slickly over the sensitive tissue.

Alfred felt the shiver run through Matthew's body, then moved his hand down to the base of the boy's erection, opening his mouth to move over the first few inches, relaxing his mouth as he went down, then sucking as hard as he could coming up. He opened his fist until only two of his fingers were wrapped around Matthew and started stroking the base of the erection as his mouth worked the top half.

Matthew pulled on Alfred's hair harder as his body jerked and shuddered and twitched without any input from his brain. It felt like his muscles were all wired directly to the feeling from his crotch. The feeling of wet heat wrapped around him, the friction of Alfred's tongue against him, the suction as he pulled off, then the warm, inviting, welcoming heat that plunged back down around him, starting the whole cycle over again. He bent forward to keep from falling backwards as his muscles spasmed harder. "S-sir, please...you have to...to stop... I...I feel...it's going to...to come out, siiirrraaaaaaah!"

Alfred felt Matthew trying to pull him off, while at the same time trying to thrust deeper into his mouth. He felt the first few spurts hit his tongue and he swallowed them eagerly, still sucking on Matthew, trying to pull the rest of them out forcibly. He swallowed fresh spurts as they landed on his tongue, finally releasing Matthew once he was spent. He stood up and grinned eagerly at Matthew as he licked his lips, then he leaned forward and kissed the younger man hard. "How was that, Matt?"

Matthew blushed and looked away. "I...it...felt good, sir... But...you shouldn't swallow that, sir..." He looked down between them and saw Alfred's erection bobbing and twitching, still. "B-but...what about you, sir?"

Alfred shrugged. "I'll find something, Matt. Maybe my hand..."

Matthew grabbed Alfred's hips with both hands and sank down onto his knees, swallowing hard as he looked at the stiff length in front of his face. Then he wrapped his hand around it, squeezed his eyes shut, and put the tip of it in his mouth. He moved his tongue around, trying to pleasure Alfred the same way he was pleasured, but he shuddered anytime his tongue came in contact with the liquid leaking from the erection.

He sucked on the very tip, but tried not to swallow anything at the same time. When he realized the futility of those actions, he took a deep breath through his nose and swallowed everything that was in his mouth, shuddering again. Then he felt a hand on his chin, tilting it up so Alfred slipped out to hang in the muggy air.

Alfred smiled down at Matthew gently. "You don't have to force yourself, Matt. I can do this alone if you want..."

Matthew shook his head, flushing in embarrassment that he couldn't even pleasure Alfred properly. "I...I want to help you, sir... I...should not take advantage of you..."

Alfred bent down to kiss Matthew gently. "Well, if you still want to help me, just sit there, just like that, with your eyes and mouth shut. I want to look at you while I finish myself, Matt. That's how you can help me."

Matthew just stared up at Alfred. "I...but you...are you... Alright, sir. I'm sorry I was...unable to..." He shut his eyes, keeping his head tilted back. "I...I love you, sir..." Then he shut his mouth, breathing through his nose and keeping as still as he could. As he sat there, he heard the familiar sound of hand on erection, stroking the already-slick skin.

Alfred moaned, gripping himself tighter as he listened to Matthew's voice. He stroked himself hard and fast, trying to get off quickly. He groaned lewdly and thrust his hips forward into his hand as he stared at Matthew, imagining that it was still Matthew's mouth wrapped around him, applying this wonderful pressure...his teeth scraping gently up the bottom, instead of just his own thumbnail...

He gasped for breath, feeling it shudder in and out of his lungs, feeling the pleasure pool in his groin, just behind his erection, just waiting to get out. He reached his other hand behind himself as he kept stroking, circling around the ring of muscle, feeling it relax and welcome him in like an old friend. He cried out as he quickly pushed the finger inside himself, his hips jerking forward reflexively as he went over the edge, spilling his seed all over Matthew's face.

Matthew jumped as he felt the warmth splash on his face in spurts and strings. He gently reached up to touch one, not daring to open his eyes, and felt the familiar slimy stickiness of ejaculate. Then he heard two soft thumps and felt Alfred's hands on his jaw.

"I'm sorry, Matt. I know you don't like it. It was an accident. Here. Let me clean you up..." he heard Alfred say. He was about to open his mouth to respond when he felt the other man's tongue on his face, licking up his own seed, leaving nothing but wetness behind.

"P-please, sir, no. You really shouldn't..."

Alfred just kissed him to silence him, then pulled away. "No, Matt. I need to clean you up. I know you hate being dirty..." He brushed Matthew's hair back out of his face and carefully licked up the rest of his seed, swallowing it eagerly, leaving the young man mostly clean, just a bit wet. "Okay, Matt. You can open your eyes, now. I'm done. It's all over with."

Matthew opened his eyes and looked over to see Alfred smiling gently at him, lovingly. He smiled back and reached out to pull the older man close, hugging him tight. Then he released the hug and pressed his lips to Alfred's again. "I...I meant it, sir. What I said before..."

Alfred smiled and kissed Matthew's forehead. "I know, Matt. I know. I hope you know I love you right back, too."

Matthew hugged Alfred, holding him close while they both recovered. "Yes, sir, I know. But you still have to help me with the laundry."

"As long as I can do it like this, I don't mind..."

* * *

Matthew went back out to the barn after supper, climbing up the ladder to check on Abigail and her kittens. He found the milk tin still sitting where it was, completely empty. He squinted and looked around the loft, then spotted Abigail near the door in the front of the building, nursing her kittens again. Except for the one kitten.

He moved closer to Abigail, listening carefully for the runt, hoping it hadn't wandered off the hatch and fallen to its death. Then he heard it, faintly, and he crawled toward the sound, ending up wrist-deep in a pile of loose hay. He frowned and quickly pulled the hay away in clumps, tossing it to the side.

He heaved a sigh of relief when he finally uncovered the kitten, picking it up in both hands and kissing its head. "Thank God... I thought you were gone..." He looked at Abigail and saw that she seemed completely uninterested in the welfare of the kitten. Instead, she turned her head to lick the other, healthier kittens.

Matthew stroked the runt as he made his way back to the ladder. "I guess you're coming with me, then. See if I can't take better care of you than your mum..." He carefully slipped the kitten into his shirt pocket and climbed down the ladder, stroking its head as he walked into the kitchen.

He set it on the table while he quickly grabbed the milk bucket and a piece of cheesecloth, soaking it in the milk, then offering a corner to the kitten. He smiled as the kitten quickly latched on, sucking the milk out of the cloth. The kitten drained the small piece of cloth and started mewling for more, so Matthew quickly dipped the cloth in again to soak it before offering it to the kitten again.

Alfred walked into the kitchen, frowning. "Where did you go, Matt? I thought we were going to spend the night in front of the fireplace, just talking."

Matthew smiled up at Alfred apologetically. "I'm sorry, sir, but I went to check on Abigail and her kittens and...and she abandoned this one, so I'm taking care of it instead. I'll be out when it's full, sir. I promise."

Alfred bent down to look at the kitten critically. "It's kinda scrawny..."

Matthew gently rubbed its head as he re-wet the cloth. "Yes, sir. It's the runt, sir."

"Why would you want to take in a cat anyways, Matt?"

Matthew shrugged as he fed the kitten. "I've always preferred cats, sir. And I don't want to see this one die just because his mother abandoned him."

Alfred grunted and moved around behind the kitten, holding its tail up out of the way. "I hate to break it to you, Matt, but this cat ain't a boy."

Matthew shrugged again. "Her, then, sir. But I'm going to keep her, sir, and I'm going to take care of her. No matter what you say."

Alfred sighed and sat down opposite the younger man. "Well, for starters, I say that feeding her straight milk like that will give her the runs. Maybe try something else. No, I don't know what. You'll have to figure it out for yourself. Now I'm going to go wait for you on the sofa." He stood back up again and left the kitchen.

Matthew sighed and looked down at the kitten. "I guess we'll have to come up with some other plan for tomorrow... But you need something in you, now, to get you through tonight..." He dipped the cloth again and held it out to the kitten again, smiling paternally as she latched on again.


	15. July 1, 1903

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While preparing for his own birthday, Alfred finds out that it's Matthew's birthday. He tries to celebrate properly.

Alfred groaned, dragged into semi-wakefulness by the now too-familiar feeling of tiny, pin-sharp claws in his leg, crawling unsteadily up his side. He grumbled and rolled over onto his back, trying to dislodge the kitten, but she just dug her claws in deeper and crawled up his side on his stomach. Then he sighed as he felt the claws retract and started falling back asleep, hoping to find his way back to that dream about Matthew taking him from behind.

...until he felt a weight on his crotch, followed shortly by small, sharp claws being sunk into his erection. He came awake suddenly, sitting up with a scream. He grabbed the kitten with both hands, pulling her off his crotch with an angry yell.

Matthew sat up, eyes wide and panicking. "What is it?!"

Alfred held the cat in front of his face, glaring at it. Then he turned his glare on Matthew and thrust her at the younger man. "Take your damn cat, Matt. I need to go make sure she didn't shred my dick." He carefully climbed out of bed and walked over to the lamp, wincing and hissing as he walked. He lit the wick from the book of matches on the small table, then lowered it to crotch level, examining the small holes in his member, wincing and he gently touched himself.

Matthew held the cat close to his chest, stroking her fur comfortingly, even as he blushed. "I...w-what happened, sir?"

Alfred carried the lamp back to bed and set it on the table there, glaring at Matthew. "Your damn cat just punctured my dick is what happened, Matt!"

Matthew glanced back down at Alfred's half hard member, watching it soften quickly. "I'm sure Biscuit didn't mean any harm, sir... She...she probably thought that it was a mouse under the covers, sir..."

Alfred sighed in frustration and turned to punch his pillow with another angry yell. "Do you have any fucking idea how much that hurts, Matt?!"

Matthew shied away from the American. "I-I'm sorry, sir... Please don't be angry... I...I'll take Biscuit and...and go do my chores, now, sir..." He quickly slid out of bed and hurried over to the wardrobe, setting the kitten down inside while he got dressed and slipped his boots on. Then he grabbed Biscuit and hurried out of the room, his head ducked down.

Alfred sighed as he watched Matthew go, then slipped down to lay in bed again, trying to ignore the throbbing, stinging pain from the claw holes. He scrubbed his eyes fiercely with one arm and then turned over to get back to sleep.

* * *

Matthew put a plate of meat on the floor for Biscuit before setting a larger plate on the table for himself and Alfred, right next to the warm biscuits and the boiled eggs. He took the pot of coffee off the stove and set it on the table, waiting for Alfred to come down.

When several minutes went by with no sign of the older man, Matthew stood up and went back upstairs to their bedroom to check on him. He sat down on the edge of the bed and put his hand on Alfred's shoulder, shaking him gently. "Sir? Are you alright?"

Alfred groaned and rolled over onto his back, wincing, then staring up at the young man. "Yeah, Matt. It's...getting better. What did you want?"

Matthew leaned down and kissed Alfred tenderly. "It's just that breakfast is ready, sir, and I thought you might like some. Did you want me to bring it up here?"

Alfred shook his head and sat up. "No. That's okay, Matt. I'll be down, soon. I just overslept."

Matthew smiled and kissed Alfred again, deeper. "I'll be waiting, sir." The young man then stood up and walked out of the room, leaving Alfred alone again.

The American heaved a sigh, then stood up and went to put on his clothes, forgoing the union suit and padding his penis with a sock to keep it from rubbing against his pants. Then he finally made his way downstairs, feeling almost normal with the padding around himself. He sat down at the table, grinning widely as he took in the fresh, warm food.

Matthew smiled when he saw the older man looking more energetic and handed him a tin plate. Alfred took it and immediately piled food onto it, digging in eagerly. Matthew ate more delicately, just watching the older man. Then he felt a gentle bump against his leg and reached down to pick up the kitten, setting her on the table.

Alfred stopped as soon as he saw the cat, his fork frozen halfway to his mouth. "...what is she doing up here, Matt?"

Matthew reached out and scratched behind her ears gently. "She was lonely, sir. She's not going to hurt you...that was just an accident."

Alfred glared at the kitten as he ate what was on his fork. "She's evil, Matt. Evil. It's not a coincidence that she did this when she did." He huffed out a breath and took another bite, waving his fork at the young man. "I finally have someone to spend my birthday with and she goes and punctures my dick. I was really looking forward to spending the day in bed with you..."

Matthew flushed and looked down at Biscuit. "M-maybe it will get better, sir... When...when is your birthday?"

Alfred immediately grinned at Matthew and winked. "Only the best day of the year, Matt. Except Christmas. The fourth of July! How incredible is that!"

Matthew nodded and took another bite. "So, it's on Saturday, then?"

Alfred nodded and downed some more food before looking back up at Matthew again. "So, Matt, when is your birthday?"

Matthew shrugged and fed a small piece of meat to the kitten. "It's not important, sir."

Alfred reached over and grabbed the young man's hand, looking at him with a straight face. "Seriously, Matt. When is your birthday? I want to do something for you."

Matthew shrugged again. "It's really not important, sir. You're too late, anyways."

Alfred reached over with his other hand, pulling the boy's chin up to look him straight in the eye. "Just tell me, Matt. When is it?"

Matthew blushed and tried to look away before the memories came back again. Memories of Alfred's eyes half-closed as they lay in bed...Alfred's hair messy and sweaty, shining in the firelight...Alfred's mouth wrapped around his erection, moving up and down... He cleared his throat and moved his eyes off of the older man's face. "I-it's today, sir. T-today is...is my birthday..."

Alfred let go of Matthew's chin and just looked at him. "...you're joking, right?"

Matthew shook his head. "N-no, sir. Today is my birthday..."

Alfred quickly gulped down the last of his food and tossed his plate in the general direction of the dish tub as he stood up. "I'm going out, Matt! Take care of the rest of the horses for me, okay? I'll be back in a few hours!" He quickly rushed out of the house, running for the stables. He snatched up Goldie's tack as he jogged in the door, then entered the stallion's stall and started putting the tack on him. "Come on, Goldie. We have to go get Matt a present!"

He mounted up, settling carefully into the saddle, then he nudged the stallion and headed out of the ranch. He turned down the path to town, urging his horse into a careful trot.

* * *

Alfred carefully dismounted and tied Goldie's reins to the post outside the general store. He gently patted the horse on the nose. "You be good and wait here, Goldie. I'll be back in a few minutes." He stepped up onto the walkway and entered the dark store, walking the path to the counter from memory.

However, he heard a soft, womanly cry as he ran into someone on his way. He blinked at the shadowy figure, trying to clear the daze from his eyes. Then he heard the screech and he realized it was Bette he had run into. He sighed and clamped his hand over her mouth. "Will you be quiet for just a minute? Yes, I'm a Sodomite, but I do not bite people and I'm not going to hurt you. So just stop with the screaming." He carefully took his hand away, nodding when she did not scream again.

Instead, she looked up at him with a questioning expression. "Mister Jones? Um...where is your friend?"

Alfred looked over her shoulder, waiting for her to move out of the way. "Matt? He's back home. I just came to pick up something quick. A birthday present."

She gasped as he eyes widened. "Is...is it his birthday?"

Alfred nodded, shifting restlessly. "Yeah. It is. If you don't mind, I have to go pick something out, now."

She smiled widely and turned around, going back to the counter. "I can help you! What kind of things does he like to do?"

Alfred shrugged, walking up to the counter. "I don't know. Why don't you just go make him some kind of sweet or something. He'd probably love that."

She then smiled, nodded, and left the store, her skirts flouncing. He sighed and went back to looking through the items on the counter, trying to figure out what the younger man would like. He spent several minutes picking listlessly through the goods before he spotted the glint of light on metal. Then he grinned and set two things down on the counter next to the register. "I'll take these."

The owner smiled and nodded. "Alright, Al. Just a moment..."

Alfred handed over his money and took the packages from the counter, smiling. "Thanks. I'll be back for the other things later."

The owner nodded. "Of course. I'll have them waiting for you."

Alfred tipped his hat to the other man and walked out of the building, untying Goldie and stowing his packages in the saddle bag before mounting again. Just as he turned Goldie to head back out, he heard Bette calling his name. He heaved a sigh and turned to face her. "What is it, now?"

She smiled and hurried up to him, hiking her skirts up several inches to get a better turn of speed. "I'm glad I caught you before you left, Mister Jones!" She stopped next to Goldie and held up something tied in a piece of cloth. "Here. This is for your friend! I hope he likes it..."

Alfred tucked it in the saddle bag and nodded. "I'm sure he will..." Then he watched her face turn pink as she smiled, then turned and hurried back to her house. He just shook his head and urged Goldie into a trot, heading back home.

* * *

Alfred hung up the last of the tack and swung the saddlebags over his shoulder, heading into the house. He set the packages on the sofa, then took the empty saddle bags back and hung them up in the saddle. He quickly brushed Goldie clean and went out to the corral to find Matthew training his horse.

He snuck up behind the younger man and hugged him tight, gently grabbing the lead rope from his hands. "Hey, Matt..."

Matthew jumped as he felt Alfred's arms wrap around him. "H-hello, sir. Can I...help you?"

Alfred tugged on the lead rop with one hand as he released the young man, but not before giving him a peck on the cheek. "Horse time is over, Matt. Just go on inside. It's time for a birthday celebration, now."

Matthew blushed and looked away, but still smiled a little. "I...you didn't have to, sir..."

"I know, Matt. Now get inside before I have to carry you in." He clucked at the golden foal, leading him back into the stable.

Matthew nodded and climbed out of the corral, heading back to the house. Alfred led the colt into his mother's box and turned him loose, hanging the halter and lead rope on the wall. Then he left the stable and ran for the house as well, eager to see Matthew's reaction to his gifts.

He grabbed Matthew's arm as he entered the kitchen, dragging the younger man toward the living room door. "Come on, Matt! The stuff's in here."

Matthew jogged along behind Alfred, trying to keep up with him. "S-sir! Please! I can walk on my own!"

Alfred just dragged Matthew through the door and pulled him over to the sofa. "Here. Sit down. It's right here." Alfred sat down on one end and reached down to grab the three packages. Matthew sat carefully next to the older man and turned to face him.

Alfred shoved the largest of the packages at Matthew, wrapped in plain brown paper. "That one is from me," he said with a grin.

Matthew frowned in confusion as he took the present, looking down at it. "But, sir... Aren't they all from you?" He carefully untied the string and then unwrapped the brown paper slowly.

Alfred shook his head. "No. One of them was from Bette. I can't think why she would want to give you something, but she stopped me before I could leave..."

Matthew just stared at the opened package in his lap. "...sir?"

"Yeah?"

"...is this...?"

Alfred nodded. "Yep! You like doing that girly stuff like embroidery, after all."

"...so you got me an embroidery hoop?" Matthew just kept staring at the wooden hoop, dumbfounded.

Alfred got a worried look on his face. "So you don't like it?"

Matthew looked back up at him with a reassuring smile. "I...it will be very handy this winter, sir, thank you. But please, sir...please try to remember that I am not actually female..."

Alfred grinned and shook his head. "Nothing like that, Matt! I just thought you might like it. Here! This next one is more manly anyways." He picked up the smallest package and held it out to the young man.

Matthew shot the American a suspicious look as he unwrapped the small box, then opened it. "...cufflinks, sir?"

"Yeah. So you can wear them to church. Since you really care about looking good for church." He grinned hopefully at the young man.

Matthew smiled at Alfred and gently lifted the cufflinks from the box. "Thank you, sir. But why do they have deer heads on them?"

"Well, because it looked more manly than the ones with all these jewels in them. And you like hunting, too, so I thought it would be good." Then he grinned at the younger man, like a child who's just done a trick.

Matthew smiled and put them back in their box. "I...see, sir. Thank you again, sir..."

Alfred leaned forward and hugged Matthew tight. "I'm so glad you like them, Matt!"

Matthew set the box down and hugged Alfred back. When he finally pulled away, he gave the older man another smile. "So what is in the last package, sir?"

Alfred shrugged and handed it over. "I have no idea. See for yourself. I didn't think you'd want me peeking inside..."

Matthew took the cloth bundle from Alfred and opened the cloth, laying it open on the couch between them. He smiled and picked up one of the cookies from inside, taking a small bite. "These are pretty good, actually. I'll have to thank her the next time I see her..." He ate the rest of the cookie, then picked up another one.

Alfred looked disappointed for a moment, then Matthew held a cookie out to him, smiling. "Here, sir. Try one."

He took it, eyed is suspiciously for a moment, then shoved the whole thing in his mouth and started chewing. He swallowed, with some difficulty, and then grinned at the young man again. "This is good!" He shot Matthew a sly look as he picked up another one. "But I bet I can think of something even better..."

Matthew stopped and blinked at Alfred, his cookie halfway to his mouth. "...what are you talking about, sir?"

Alfred grinned and bit down on his cookie sensually, licking his lips clean. Then he slipped his hand forward, onto Matthew's knee, then up his thigh to rest on his crotch, giving it a light squeeze.

Matthew immediately set the cookie back down, a blush growing on his face. "S-sir! You can't...a-aren't you still...sore?"

Alfred shrugged and moved the package of cookies to the floor, leaning forward to kiss the young man, his fingers automatically moving to the buttons on Matthew's shirt. "Yes, but you aren't. And I want to make sure you remember today, Matt..."

Matthew gently pulled Alfred's hands off his shirt. "B-but...we can't do...this if you're still sore, sir..."

Alfred grinned and yanked one hand away from Matthew's grip, reaching down to rub his crotch again. "My dick is sore, Matt. Not my mouth." He deftly popped the buttons on the younger man's fly, spreading it open with one hand.

Matthew yelped and reached down to grab Alfred's wrist again. "Y-you can't d-do that again, sir!" he cried, deeply flushed. "It...it was dirty and indecent and completely unsafe, sir!"

Alfred just moved his hand, along with Matthew's, back to the young man's crotch and started unbuttoning his union suit. "You certainly seemed to like it last time, Matt. Just relax..."

"B-but that part of me is...is unclean, sir. You...you could catch a...a d-disease..." Matthew breathed raggedly, still trying to pull Alfred's hand away from his crotch.

Alfred kissed the young man deeply, pulling his other hand from Matthew's loose grip to join the first in teasing Matthew's erection. Then he pulled back to let the other man breathe and grinned down at him. "Don't worry so much, Matt. If I was going to catch any diseases, I would have caught them last time. It's fine..."

Matthew tried to pull away from Alfred, but his muscles refused to work right under Alfred's ministrations. "P-please, sir... D-don't...dooooh..." His objections trailed off into incoherent moans as Alfred lowered his head to lick the very tip. "A-aaahhh...p-please, sir...."

Alfred just smirked up at Matthew, looking at him from under his bangs. Then he opened his mouth wide and lowered it over the young man's tip, flicking his tongue around it restlessly.

Matthew finally gave in and met Alfred's eyes, running his fingers through the short blonde hair. "P-please, sir... Don't tease me..."

Alfred nodded, not taking his eyes off Matthew, and he lowered himself as far onto the younger man as he could, holding his hips still with one arm. Matthew gasped as he felt himself move deeper and deeper into the wet heat of Alfred's mouth, until he met resistance and Alfred pulled up a bit.

Matthew reached out and held Alfred's bangs back, already feeling himself twitching in anticipation. "P-please sir...make it quick... I feel like...like I'm going to..."

Then Alfred pulled off and smirked, wrapping his fingers tight around the base of Matthew's dick. "Not yet, Matt. This really will be a night to remember... This is going to be the longest you've ever gone, Matt... But, Matt, when you do spill your seed, it will feel so damn good. So damn good, Matt. You won't even believe how good it will feel." He gently licked up the bottom of the shaft. "And you will shoot so much, Matt. I know. I've done this before. Trust me, Matt. Trust me."

Matthew nodded and smiled at Alfred, his twitches subsiding. "I trust you, sir. Please, sir, make me feel wonderful..."


	16. July 4, 1903

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alfred celebrates his birthday the best way he knows how: with moonshine, meat, cake, fireworks, and his lover by his side.

Matthew woke up before Alfred and carefully slipped out of his arms, trying not to disturb him. He picked Biscuit up from the foot of the bed and went to get dressed. He smiled at Biscuit and put his finger to his lips, whispering "Be quiet, Biscuit. We don't want to wake up Mister Jones..."

Then he went downstairs to care for the animals, trying to remember the recipe his mother taught him, to make sure he wasn't forgetting anything. Then he quickly mixed up the batter and set it in the oven to cook while he went to care for the animals.

* * *

Alfred finally woke around mid morning and came down the stairs, yawning and rubbing his eyes with his hands. "Morning, Matt," he said as he reached the bottom of the stairs, frowning when he didn't see the younger man. "Matt?"

He walked towards the back door and looked out across the yard. "Matt?"

Matthew heard Alfred's voice and picked up the milk bucket. He stuck his head out the door and smiled. "I'm coming, sir! Just a moment!" He grabbed the egg basket and left the barn, walking briskly towards the house. He went inside and set the eggs and milk down on the table. "I'm sorry breakfast is late, sir. I overslept a little..."

Alfred grabbed Matthew in a hug and then just looked at the blushing man. "Don't worry about it, Matt. I'll just go to the horses' stalls while you cook and everything will be fine. Today is going to be a great day!"

Matthew smiled and slipped out of Alfred's grip. "Yes, sir. Of course. Breakfast will be ready soon, sir."

Alfred whistled as he walked outside, heading over to the stables. Matthew watched him go, then shut the door gently and turned back to the kitchen. He put some meat on the stove to cook, then some eggs. The he glanced around quickly before pulling out the sugar, butter and yesterday's cream. Then he smiled to himself and started whipping up some frosting while breakfast cooked.

He kept looking over his shoulder nervously as he worked, making sure that Alfred hadn't finished yet. He finally gave a sigh of relief when he finished the frosting and pulled the bowl out of the oven. He carefully worked a knife around the edge and then turned it over onto a plate, spreading the frosting on top of it. He stopped as soon as he heard Alfred approach the house, though, and shoved it back inside the oven before the older man opened the door. The two bowls were still on the table, though, so he quickly scooped up the cake bowl and tossed it in the sink with a clang, taking his spot behind the stove.

He saw that breakfast was a bit overcooked, even though he had been watching it, and he made a face as he took out two plates, serving the food onto them as Alfred walked in. He heard the other's boots coming up behind him and he turned around before Alfred grabbed him and leaned forward to kiss his cheek. "Almost ready, sir. If you sit down, I'll have it on the table momentarily. The coffee will be done shortly after."

Alfred pouted, deprived of his chance to surprise the younger man, but kissed him back and moved to sit at the table. Matthew slid the pancakes onto their plates and set them down on the table. Alfred, meanwhile, had noticed the bowl of frosting and pulled it over, tasting some with a puzzled frown. "...why were you making frosting, Matt?"

Matthew just shrugged and took his seat. "Well, it was your birthday, sir, so I thought you might like something special. For your pancakes, sir. It's not exactly a real cake, but I hope it will suffice, sir."

Alfred's face lit up and he started spreading the last of the frosting over his pancakes, just as if he was frosting a real cake. "Thanks, Matt. You're the best wife a Sodomite could ever hope to never have."

"...I'm glad to hear that, sir." Matthew poured a bit of syrup over his pancakes, just watching the American with polite confusion as he downed the frosted stack of pancakes.

Alfred stood up as soon as he polished off the last of the food, leaning down to kiss the top of Matthew's head. "I have to run into town quick, Matt. There were some things I ordered that were supposed to come in today. I'll be back soon. And when I get back, we'll have a party. Just the two of us." He grinned widely at the young man and walked out the door, leaving his dishes behind.

Matthew sighed and slowly finished his own breakfast. "...if I had known you were leaving, I would have waited on the cake..." he muttered to himself.

* * *

Alfred rode up outside the kitchen door a few hours later, his saddlebags weighed down with liquor and a sack of fireworks strung on his back. He grinned and tipped his hat back to look at the door. "Matt! Hey, Matt! I'm back!"

Matthew opened the door and looked out at Alfred, swallowing before he started drooling. He cleared his throat softly and stepped outside. "Can I help you, sir?"

Alfred twisted around and lifted the saddlebags off. "Here. Can you take these into the house, Matt? I'm going to go turn Goldie out with the rest of the horses."

Matthew took the saddlebags and sagged for a moment under the unexpected weight before he pulled himself up again. "Alright, sir. I'll be waiting inside." He smiled and turned back to the door, carrying the bags in and setting them on the table with a loud thunk.

He frowned and opened one up to see what was so heavy. Then he saw the jug sitting inside and pulled it out, uncorking it to smell the contents. He blinked and moved away as the sour smell of liquor rose to meet him, burning his eyes. He quickly shoved the cork back in the top and set it on the table, followed by another jug from the other bag.

Then Alfred came back into the house and set his pack down on the table with a wide grin. "Today is going to be so great, Matt. Booze, fireworks, and meat roasted over an open fire. What better way is there to celebrate a birthday?"

Matthew shrugged and moved the jugs to the ground, right next to the door. "I don't know, sir. I thought perhaps we would just relax in front of the fireplace like last time."

Alfred pulled the younger man into a tight hug. "No, Matt. If I had known that was your birthday, I would have ordered more stuff. And sooner. So you could have a proper celebration. Maybe next year we can do them both together!"

Matthew escaped, took the fireworks and set them down by the jugs. "You don't have to celebrate my birthday, sir. I don't mind..."

Alfred followed Matthew and clapped him on the shoulder. "Don't be so modest, Matt. You deserve a giant celebration. Just like me. So we can combine them and have one that's twice as big!"

"...I would be fine just spending time with you, sir. Truly."

Alfred grabbed the young man's shoulder and spun him around, smiling at him. "Well, we can't do the fireworks until tonight, so how about we go spend some time together now and then have dinner afterwards?"

Matthew flushed and looked away from Alfred. "I...we can't do that in...in the middle of the day, sir..."

Alfred leaned forward and kissed Matthew gently. "Come on, Matt... Everything is already done and the horses are out in the corral to get some exercise. You can spare a few hours..."

"But...I should do the dishes, sir..."

Alfred slipped his hand down Matthew's arm and held his hand. "Please, Matt? For me? Just for a little while?"

Matthew looked into the other man's bright blue eyes and sighed. "Alright, sir. Just for a little while... Then I have to clean."

Alfred leaned forward and kissed Matthew quickly, then turned around and headed for the stairs, tugging on the younger man's arm as he walked. Matthew blushed and followed along behind Alfred, watching the shifting folds on the back of his jeans.

Alfred walked into their room, still pulling Matthew behind him, then turned and kissed the younger man, wrapping his arms around him tight. Matthew hesitantly slipped his arms around Alfred, too, then pulled away from the kiss to rest his head on the older man's shoulder. "...maybe we could just...do this for a few hours, sir? Just...hold each other?"

Alfred turned to kiss the top of Matthew's head. "If that's what you want, Matt, we can do that... Come on." He held the younger blonde close and started shuffling over to the bed. "Let's just get down on the bed and hold each other. And maybe...maybe it could turn into something more later. If you feel like it..."

Matthew nodded and moved with Alfred over to the bed, finally pulling away to sit on the edge of the bed and pull his boots off. Then he moved farther back into the bed and laid down to make room for Alfred. Alfred kicked off his own boots and climbed into bed next to Matthew, moving close and wrapping him in a hug.

Matthew smiled and curled up enough so that he could press his face against Alfred's chest. Alfred bent his head and kissed the crown of Matthew's head several more times before he reached down and tipped the other man's face up to kiss his lips. Matthew brought his foot up and slipped it between Alfred's, rubbing sensually against the arches of his feet, feeling his toes curl at the gentle touch.

Alfred just deepened his kiss, rubbing his feet back against Matthew's. Matthew let out a soft moan and pulled away from the kiss to pout at Alfred. "I...I thought we were just going to hug, sir..."

Alfred smirked and pulled up Matthew's hand, kissing the knuckles gently. "We were, Matt. You were the one who started with the feet..."

Matthew flushed and looked away, pulling his hand back and holding it to his chest. "Well...you were the one who started kissing me, sir... I was...was just reacting to that..."

Alfred moved closer to Matthew again and kissed him one more. "So my kisses are what really get you? I'll have to remember to kiss you more, then..." He curled one hand in Matthew's hair as he planted kisses all over the boy's face.

Matthew turned his face away from Alfred and buried it in his pillow, but the older man just moved his kisses down his cheek and back up his jaw to his ear. He felt a whine start in his chest and work its way up as his foot moved higher up Alfred's leg.

Alfred planted a kiss just under Matthew's earlobe and pulled back a fraction of an inch. "...have you reconsidered, Matt? Do you want to...?"

Matthew nodded and turned his face back to Alfred, sure he was beet red by now. "I...yes, sir. I want to...to do this, sir..."

Alfred didn't respond, he just moved his mouth back down to kiss the young man again, his hands reaching for the buttons on Matthew's shirt, popping them open one by one. Then he felt Matthew's strong, delicate fingers brush over his chest to return the favor. He quickly pulled off the young man's shirt and tossed it behind him onto the floor.

Matthew undid the last button on Alfred's shirt and pushed it to the side and off his shoulders. He moved to kiss the older man's chin and along his jaw as Alfred peeled the shirt off his arms to join Matthew's on the floor. Matthew put his hands back on Alfred's chest, looking for the buttons to his union suit, then frowned as he felt warm skin and rough hair instead. Then he looked down and blushed as he saw Alfred's naked chest staring back at him. "W-wha... Where is your union suit, sir?"

Alfred kissed the tip of Matthew's nose briefly as his hands started working on Matthew's fly. "Well, it's getting pretty warm, Matt, so I've just been going without it..."

Matthew blushed deeper and pulled his hand away quickly. "I...I...you...that's not right, sir! You have to wear something under your clothes, sir. Otherwise you're just naked..."

Alfred shrugged and popped the second button on the boy's fly. "I'm naked under the union suit anyways, Matt. And it just doesn't make sense to wear two layers in the summer."

"But...but it's a distraction, sir..." Matthew kept his hands to himself, still, just looking down at the broad chest.

Alfred smirked and kissed the young man again. "Just keep going, Matt. It's not that big a deal. We still end up naked every night..." He popped the last button on Matthew's jeans and worked them off his hips, rubbing against the growing bulge in the suit.

Matthew groaned softly and moved forward to bury his burning face in the crook of Alfred's neck, finally reaching his hands out and down to undo the older man's jeans. He felt Alfred's hands back on his chest shortly after, opening his union suit. He tried to bury his face deeper in Alfred's neck as he opened the older man's fly, feeling a sigh of relief ruffle his hair.

Alfred turned his head and pressed a gentle kiss to the back of Matthew's head as the pressure from his pants was finally relieved. He twitched his hips up so he rubbed against the young man's hand, his fingers quickly undoing the last of the buttons on the union suit.

Matthew finally pulled away when he felt Alfred's hand brush over his bare erection, moaning and looking away. He propped himself up on one arm and gently tugged at the older man's pants with the other. "If...if we're going to do this, sir, we should...should..."

Alfred nodded and sat up, his member bobbing stiffly between his legs. "Right. I'll get mine. You get yours." He smiled at the younger man, then reached down to tug his socks off, tossing them over the edge of the bed. Then he turned to watch Matthew pull the union suit off his arms, so it pooled on the bed around his hips. He shook his head and turned back to his own task, sliding his jeans off his ass the rest of the way then shoving them down to his ankles and off the bed onto the floor.

Matthew jerked and tugged on the wool suit, pulling it off his hips after some difficulty and then yanked them off his legs, tossing them over Alfred onto the floor, his socks following shortly after. Then he looked over at Alfred, starting to lose his nerve. "I...maybe we..."

Alfred leaned over and pulled Matthew into a deep kiss. "It's okay, Matt. We've done this before. Lots of times..."

Matthew nodded and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "I...I know, sir. It's just that...it's still light out..."

Alfred smiled and kissed the young man again. "It will be fine, Matt. In fact, I want you to see for this. There's..." Alfred blushed and looked away from Matthew, at the bedspread. "There's something I want to try, Matt. Is that okay?"

"I...what do you want to try, sir...?"

Alfred looked at Matthew, then lay back down and lifted his leg with one arm, curling his hips forward to gently rub his hole with one finger. "Here, Matt. I...I want you here."

Matthew bit his lip and felt his face grow warm again. "I...that...sir...I...that is dirty, sir. I...you know what comes out of there, sir. I can't... You... That can't possibly feel..."

"Feel good, Matt? But it does. Please, Matt? Just this once? Just for my birthday?" Alfred lowered his leg and propped himself up on his elbows to look at the younger man, his erection lying across his stomach. "Please, Matt? I...you won't have to...touch anything. I can...I can do it myself. I've done it before."

Matthew looked into Alfred's blue eyes, feeling himself wince at the idea, then he sighed and lowered his eyes to the bed. "I...alright, sir. Just this once. Because it's your birthday, sir..."

Alfred smiled gratefully and spread his legs wide. "Just wait, Matt. I'll...I'll do all the work. You just have to wait and watch." He brought one hand up to his lips and spit on his fingers, spreading it around all sides of his first three fingers. Then he lay back on the bed and pressed his feet flat against the bed, lifting his hips so he could reach his hole again.

Matthew blushed deeply, but kept watching as the older man rubbed and probed himself with one finger. Then he bit his lip and winced as Alfred pushed his first finger inside with a soft hiss. "A-are you alright, sir?"

Alfred opened his eyes and looked up at Matthew with a smile. "I'm fine, Matt. This is all normal." He pressed the finger deeper inside of himself, flexing it and massaging his insides. He tilted his hips farther up and pressed the finger in as far as it would go, hooking the tip of it so that he pressed against his sweet spot.

Matthew kept watching Alfred as the finger disappeared deeper and deeper inside him, worried that something horrible was going to happen. Then he heard a low moan from Alfred and shifted his gaze up, watching the older man shiver. He shivered in response and reached one hand down to gently curl around his erection, stroking it teasingly to keep it hard while Alfred was busy.

Alfred took a deep breath and pulled his finger most of the way out before nudging at his entrance with the tip of a second finger. He groaned at the pressure on his muscles, then relaxed and felt the second finger push inside. He pushed them deep and then spread his fingers as wide as he could as he brought them back up, stretching himself. Then he brought both fingers together again and pushed deep.

Matthew kept watching in horrified fascination as Alfred moved his fingers in and out of himself. How could such a small hole even stretch to fit two fingers? It did, though, and he watched Alfred stretch it even wider, so there was a gap between his two fingers. Then...then he slipped his third finger into that gap and started just moving all three fingers in and out, moaning wantonly.

Alfred panted and looked down at himself, seeing that his dick was starting to drip. He groaned as he pulled his fingers out, then looked up at Matthew. "Now, Matt. Please. Do it now..."

Matthew moved between Alfred's legs and lifted the older man's hips with on hand, gently pressing his head against the small hole. "A-are you sure, sir?"

Alfred nodded and twitched his hips, rubbing against the tip of Matthew's erection. "Yes, Matt. I'm sure. Now. Please..."

Matthew squeezed his eyes shut and pressed forward into Alfred, moaning quietly as it gripped him tight, resisting his entrance. "I...I'm not sure, sir... I...it feels too tight..."

Alfred shook his head and reached down with his hand, pulling his leg up and to the side. "It's fine, Matt... It's...it's supposed to be...tight..."

Matthew stopped moving for a moment and opened his eyes to look down at the older man. "...are you sure? I...I don't want to...to hurt you, sir..."

"You're not hurting me, Matt. Really. I'm fine. It...it feels good." He reached his free hand down and gently ran his fingers up the underside of his dick, teasing himself with the feather-light touches. "Please, Matt. I want more of you. Fill me up, Matt. Please..."

Matthew took a deep breath and hoisted Alfred's leg up onto his shoulder, hugging the thigh close to his chest as Alfred bent his knee to keep his hips at the right level. Then he pressed his face against the older man's thigh and moaned as he pressed in deeper, slowly and steadily, but he did not stop until he was completely buried inside of Alfred. "I...are you sure I'm not hurting...?"

Alfred thrust his hips up against Matthew with a moan. "I'm sure, Matt. Just...move. Please, move, Matt..."

Matthew bit his lip, but started moving his hips back and forth, making shallow thrusts inside Alfred, whimpering as he felt the muscles drag on his tip, sending shocks through his body. He looked down at the older man, watching him bite his own lip as he writhed around on the sheet. He gently lowered Alfred's leg from his shoulder and leaned forward to kiss the other man, sucking his lip out from between his teeth as he thrust gently. It might have just been his imagination, but he felt like the thrusts were coming easier and he moved his hips farther each time.

Alfred moaned into Matthew's mouth and arched up against him as he started thrusting deeper and harder. He wrapped one arm around the young man's back and he brought his other up to grasp the back of his head, pulling him closer. Then he wrapped one of his legs around Matthew's hips and pushed him deeper inside with each thrust he made.

Matthew finally pulled away from the barrage of kisses and propped himself up on his elbow as he thrust deep, aided by Alfred. He felt himself getting closer to release with every moment and he slipped his hand between them to grab Alfred's erection, stroking it and moaning as he thought about the sheer perversity of what he was doing...and how good it felt.

Alfred pulled Matthew's head back down for another kiss as he felt the hand moving up and down his member, bringing him close to the edge, so very close. He kissed Matthew deeply and moaned loudly as his felt his hips start jerking, thrusting up against the younger man as he shot his seed on his stomach.

Matthew pulled away from the kiss and cried out as Alfred released, feeling the tight heat grow tighter. He thrust quickly and shallowly, feeling his release building inside of his stomach. Just...just a bit more...harder...faster... He moaned as he thrust sharply inside the older man. "Ah...mmm...ah! S-sir! Ahh... A-alfred...!" He bent over and bit down on Alfred's shoulder to stifle his cry as he ground against the older man, releasing his seed in short spurts. Once he had finished, he released Alfred's shoulder and buried his face against the crook of the older man's neck again, thrusting slowly inside of him as he recovered from his orgasm.

Alfred let his legs fall back to lie flat on the bed, holding Matthew close, kissing his hair and stroking his back. "Thank you, Matt. Thank you so much. That was...that was even better with someone else. You felt so much better than a hunk of wood..."

Matthew finally got his breathing under control and kissed down the edge of Alfred's neck to the hollow between his collarbones, then back up to kiss his Adam's apple. "I...just this once, sir... That was...it felt so good, but...but it's wrong. It's dirty, sir... You...I... It shouldn't feel that good, sir..."

Alfred nodded and stroked the young man's back. "I know, Matt. It's alright, though. It's over, now. We can just relax for a little while until...until we get hungry." He pulled Matthew's head up to kiss him on the lips again, reaching under them to free the tangled blanket, pulling it over both of them. "But if it's just this once, Matt, I want you in me for as long as possible. I just...want to stay exactly like this. I don't want to break this connection."

Matthew just nodded and held Alfred tight, rolling them both onto their sides, careful to keep his hips pressed hard against Alfred's. "Yes, sir. If that's what you want." He draped his arm around Alfred's waist and pulled him close to kiss him, wrapping his legs around one of Alfred's.

Alfred smiled and kissed Matthew back. "Thank you, Matt. You're better than I deserve."

Matthew just held Alfred close, nudged his head up under the older man's chin, and dozed off with a smile on his face.

* * *

Alfred woke up several hours later by the hunger pains gnawing at his stomach. He gently kissed Matthew on the top of the head and pulled away from the younger man. Matthew opened his eyes and blinked over at Alfred. "Mmuh?"

Alfred smiled and sat up. "I'm getting hungry, so I'm going to go put some meat on to roast. You can stay here if you want." He swung his legs around to sit on the edge of the bed and reached for his pants.

Matthew shook his head and sat up. "No... I...I should get up. I have...things to do..."

Alfred smiled and pulled on his shirt, leaving it unbuttoned. "Okay, Matt. I'll just be waiting for you outside." He stood up and quickly buttoned his pants, then leaned down to kiss the young man before walking out of the room.

Matthew blushed and grabbed his union suit, pulling it on and buttoning it as fast as he could. Once he had his suit on, he took a deep breath and released it, no longer feeling quite so vulnerable. He reached for the rest of his clothes after a minute and resumed dressing at a slower pace.

Once he was presentable again, he went downstairs and pulled the cake out of the oven, setting it on the table. Then he pulled another handkerchief off the shelf, dumped his newly-made maple candies into the center of it. He smiled and pulled the corners up to tie them off. Then he took the handkerchief and went outside to join Alfred.

When he saw the older man concentrating on the fire pit, he smiled to himself and quietly walked up behind him. Then he spread his arms and slipped them around Alfred, hugging him from behind.

Alfred straightened up and turned to look back at Matthew, smiling. "Hello, again. Do you need something?"

Matthew shook his head and leaned around to give Alfred a quick kiss on the lips, slipping the kerchief into his jeans pocket while he was distracted. "No, sir. Just that."

Alfred grinned and turned back to the fire pit, slowly spinning the hunk of venison on its skewer. "Well, would you mind grabbing one of those jugs, some cups, and a couple plates? I want to have a picnic dinner and then watch some fireworks before bed.

Matthew nodded and pulled away. "Of course, sir." He walked back into the house and set one of the jugs on the table, next to the cake, then slipped two more plates under the cake plate, and dropped a tin cup on top of the jug's cork. He bit his lip as he looked around the kitchen, thinking of what else they might need for a picnic supper. He quickly tossed a can of beans inside of a small pot and set that on the table, too.

He looked around once more, then went through the door into the living room and snatched the quilt off the back of the sofa, slinging it over his shoulder. He went back to the kitchen and picked up the beans and jug with one hand and the cake with the other, somehow balancing everything as he pushed the door open and walked into the yard.

He carefully bent down, dropped the jug on the ground, and let the blanket slip off his shoulder on top of it. Then he walked over to Alfred and held out the pot with the beans. "Here you are, sir. I thought we should have something besides just meat. If you wouldn't mind warming those up?"

Alfred smiled and took the hanging pot from Matthew. "Of course, Matt. What do you..." He turned in place as his gaze moved across Matthew's body and out his other arm, his eyes widening as he saw the cake. "Is...is that..."

Matthew smiled and kissed Alfred on the cheek. "It's a birthday cake, sir, but you have to have your supper before dessert. Understood?"

Alfred nodded, looking a bit disappointed. "Yes, Matt. Dinner first."

Matthew nodded and carried the cake back, setting it next to the jug. Then he took the quilt and spread it out on the grass neatly, the design facing up. He carefully slipped off his boots and stepped onto the quilt in his stocking feet, sitting down with his legs crossed neatly under him. He set the jug on the far corner of the quilt and the cake in the center. Then he set the plates off to the side and waited for Alfred to finish cooking.

Alfred stirred the beans to keep them from burning, then pulled out his pocket knife and cut a small chunk of meat off to check it. He examined the color, then tasted it and nodded. He pulled the whole spit off and gently lowered the beans to the ground, then set the haunch on a tin platter and pulled the spit out of it.

He pocketed his knife, then picked up the platter and the beans, heading for the quilt. Just before he reached it, Matthew held up his hand. "Stop, sir. Please take off your boots. I don't want dirt in my food."

Alfred sighed in frustration. "Then can you please take these, Matt? I don't want to drop them."

Matthew nodded and rolled up onto his knees, taking the plate and pot from the older man. "Of course, sir. I'll be glad to." He sat back down as Alfred pulled off his boots and set the dishes down to one side of the cake.

Alfred stepped onto the quilt in his bare feet and plopped down next to Matthew, leaning over to kiss him. "Thanks for everything, Matt. This is my best birthday in probably ten years."

Matthew pulled the spare forks off the cake plate and set one on Alfred's lap. "I'm glad to hear that, sir. We should eat up, now. So you can have your fire show and we can still get to bed by a reasonable time."

Alfred rolled his eyes. "It's the Fourth of July, Matt. We're not going to get to bed by a reasonable time. We're going to stay up late, get drunk, shoot off fireworks, and be grateful that we're not British anymore and that I was born on the best day ever."

Matthew just turned to Alfred and raised his eyebrow. "Some of us are still British citizens, sir..."

Alfred just reached over and patted Matthew's shoulder sympathetically. "I'm so sorry, Matt... I hope you break free soon."

Matthew just glared at Alfred, then turned away coldly. "Let's just eat, sir."

Alfred nodded and pulled out his knife, carving up the venison. Matthew grabbed the pot of beans while he waited and scooped some onto his plate. Then he set the pot next to Alfred, speared one of the slices of meat, and put his on his plate before starting to eat.

Alfred slipped two slices of meat onto his own plate, covered them with beans, and then reached for the jug. He took the cup off the top and frowned. "Matt, there's only one cup here. Where's yours?"

Matthew shook his head. "I'm not going to drink, sir. If I get drunk, you might take advantage of me. More so than usual."

Alfred poured himself a cup full of the moonshine, smiling as he took a deep whiff of it. "Good stuff. And I don't take advantage of you, Matt. What are you talking about?"

Matthew set his plate to the side and turned to face the older man, his face fixed in a frown. "Well, sir, for starters, you push all the 'womanly' chores on me because you do not want to be seen as less of a man. And then you always guilt me and manipulate me, perhaps even seduce me into doing whatever filthy carnal acts amuse you most."

"You could say no..." Alfred interrupted quietly, then went silent as Matthew fixed him with an icy purple stare.

"I do say No, sir, but you keep after me until—" Matthew fell silent as he heard a wet snarf behind him. He spun around to find the dog nose-deep in his plate. "And you let the dog out when you know you're going to be having a picnic supper, with me, and cook meat that you know he will want to eat!" He snatched his plate away from the dog, grabbed the dog's collar, and shoved him off the quilt. "Get out of here, dog! We're trying to have supper!"

When he turned around and started heading back towards the quilt, Matthew picked up one of Alfred's boots and threw it on the ground at the dog's feet. "Go!"

Alfred downed the last of his drink as he watched the dog run away. Then he poured himself another and gently touched Matthew's shoulder, turning the young man to face him. "Calm down, Matt. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let him out, yet. Just relax. Here..." He leaned forward and kissed Matthew gently, then pulled away and just rubbed his hand up and down the other's back. "Just relax..."

Matthew just stopped and took a deep breath, getting himself under control again. "Yes, sir. I'm sorry for losing my head, sir."

Alfred held out his cup to Matthew. "Here, Matt. Just have one cup. It will help you relax..."

Matthew looked at the cup suspiciously, then sniffed the air. "I'm not sure I should, sir. It smells very strong."

Alfred grinned and took a deep breath of alcohol fumes. "It is strong, Matt, but one small cup isn't going to make you suddenly drunk."

Matthew finally sighed and took the tin cup from Alfred, downing the liquor as fast as he could. He squeezed his eyes shut against the lingering burn in his throat and held the cup out to Alfred again, trying to get his breath back. He finally opened his eyes, panting, and picked up his plate. As he ate his supper, he smiled. "You were right, sir. I feel...much more relaxed, now."

Alfred grinned and slapped the younger man on the back. "See? I told you it would be okay, Matt. Do you want another one? It probably takes like...four of these to get drunk, so you should be fine, still."

Matthew took another bite of beans while he looked at the cup. "Alright, sir. Just one more. That's it, though." He took the cup again and drank the liquor. Maybe it was just in his head, but it felt like the burn was not nearly as strong as the last time. He finished off the cup and handed it back, smiling at the pleasant warmth spreading up his neck and down his arms.

Alfred polished off one last cup before seriously setting into his dinner, shoveling beans into his mouth. Then he picked up a piece of meat and tore off a chunk with his teeth. Matthew just shook his head and took out his pocket knife, cutting up his own meat before attempting to eat it.

After several minutes, Matthew set his empty plate down, watching Alfred down the last of his food. He gently reached across Alfred's lap and picked up the jug and tin cup, pouring a fresh cup of liquor. He carefully corked the jug before picking up the mug and smiling at Alfred. "Cheers, sir."

Alfred grinned back and raised his fork in salute. "Cheers, Matt." Then he watched as the boy tossed back another cup of moonshine.

Matthew set the cup back on the blanket and brought his knees up to his chest, gently rubbing his cheek against the fabric of his pants, humming softly.

Alfred shoveled the last of the beans into his mouth, watching the younger man with a smile on his face. Then he poured another cup and drank it, slower than the last two. "You doing okay, Matt?"

Matthew turned to look at Alfred and nodded. "It's a bit warm out, but...but it feels good to relax..."

Alfred leaned over and kissed Matthew's cheek. "Well, if it gets too hot, you can just take off your shirt. Just like...like on laundry day. I'm gonna go do the fireworks, now."

Matthew turned to watch Alfred as he stood up, only swaying a little before righting himself and setting off into the growing darkness. Once the older man was out of sight, he sat up and moved to unbutton his shirt, then just stopped and pressed his hand against his chest, enjoying the feel of the fabric against his hands.

Alfred crouched next to his improvised fuse, using a sulfurous match to light it on fire. Then he grinned and ran back to the blanket so he could reclaim his seat before the first rocket went off. He sat down next to Matthew on the blanket, then turned to look at the younger man, frowning. "Matt, why do you have your shirt on top of your head?"

Matthew picked it up and looked out from under it, then slipped it down to rest around his neck, gently rubbing his cheek against it. "Well, I was getting pretty warm, sir, so I took it off like you said but then...it felt so good, so I had to keep feeling it. Here. Feel it, sir." He pulled it off of his neck and held it out to the older man.

Alfred grinned and took the shirt from Matthew, setting it on his other side. "...you are so tipsy, Matt..."

Matthew shook his head. "No. No, I'm not. Here. It's time for your cake, sir." He pulled out his knife and pulled the cake closer, cutting two slices from here.

Alfred took his slice of cake and started eating as Matthew curled up against his side. Then he heard the whine of a rocket taking off and tried to follow it with his eyes, smiling as it exploded overhead. Matthew spared a quick glance at the explosion before he went back to eating, watching Alfred's hands carefully.

Matthew watched a large chunk of cake fall off Alfred's hands and onto his lap. The Canadian immediately reached out and picked it up. "You dropped this, sir. Here. It's...it's not good to waste food..."

Alfred smiled and took the piece back. "Thanks, Matt. Don't want to waste any of this cake anyways. It's really damn good..." Then he stopped and poured himself another drink as the second rocket went off, starting to drink as it exploded, casting green light on them.

Matthew finished off the last of his slice and looked up at Alfred. "...can you pour me another one, too, please, sir?"

Alfred finished off the cup and filled it up again immediately. "There you are. One cup of hooch. Enjoy."

Matthew smiled at Alfred and moved closer to his side. "Thank you, sir." He quickly downed the alcohol, then handed the cup back, fanning himself with his hand.

Alfred downed one last cup before he went back to his cake slice, devouring it hungrily. He looked down as he heard Matthew make a noise, then his thought process screeched to a halt as Matthew pressed two fingers against his crotch. "What...what're you doin, Matt?"

Matthew turned to look up at Alfred. "Just cleaning you up, sir. You really shouldn't spill crumbs..."

Alfred flushed and looked down at the young man's wavy blonde hair. Then he grinned as he got an idea. He took another bite of cake, letting crumbs fall past his chest and onto his lap as another rocket lit up the sky.

Matthew leaned over and tried to pick up the crumbs with his fingers, but ended up dropping them before he could move them away. He tried a couple more times with similar success, then he shrugged and lowered his head to Alfred's lap, licking up the crumbs.

Alfred moaned deep in his chest and pinched some crumbs off his slice, dropping them into his lap. Matthew just shook his head and leaned down to lick them up. "You are...a very messy eater..."

Alfred shrugged and smiled at the young man innocently "Wha'can I say? I'm always a messy eater..." He took a bite of cake and blew crumbs out of his mouth to scatter all over his lap.

Matthew frowned and leaned down once again to clean up Alfred's lap. Then he finally noticed something as he moved his lips across the older man's crotch. "Alfred?"

Alfred stuffed the rest of the cake in his mouth and smiled down at Matthew. "Yeah?"

Matthew cupped the bulge with his hand, just to make sure it was actually there. "Are...are you stiff?"

Alfred froze for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah... Is'you, Matt... Havin you...in my lap...all that time..."

Matthew looked up at Alfred for a moment, then grinned and slipped down between the older man's legs, stretching his body out to touch as much of the cool quilt as he could. "I guess it's my fault, then... I have to...to take responsibility."

"Wha'd'you mean by that?"

Matthew just grinned up at Alfred and popped open the buttons on the older man's fly, releasing his erection. "Have to...help you fix it, Al."

Alfred sucked in a breath and held it as he waited to see what Matthew would do. Then he moaned loudly as he felt the young man's tongue press against him, dragging all the way up his length.

Matthew held the erection still as he licked it gently from base to top, several times, listening to Alfred's wanton moans. He looked up into the other man's face, staring into his eyes as he pressed the tip past his lips, licking around the edge of the head.

Alfred finally broke the eye contact as he leaned his head back, moaning loudly to the night sky as another rocket went off. He wasn't sure which one it was, he had stopped counting. Then he gasped and let out a shuddering breath as he felt Matthew's tongue come up to probe the top of his member.

Matthew pushed his mouth down onto Alfred's dick as far as it would go, sucking hard as he shifted sideways just a little, straddling one of the older man's legs. Then he felt a moan bubble up from his chest as he pressed himself against Alfred's leg, moving his hips back and forth.

Alfred moaned in return as the vibrations spread from his erection out to the farther parts of his body. "Oh god, Matt. You're so good... I...I wish you didn't have to be drunk..."

Matthew listened to the older man, but just heard buzzing instead. So he shrugged and kept moving up and down on Alfred's member, jerking his hips in time with his sucks. From time to time, a needy moan penetrated the buzzing and he moaned back, rubbing his hips against Alfred's leg.

Alfred reached down and ran his fingers through Matthew's hair, brushing it back off his face as he felt the tension inside of him growing. "Oh, God, Matt. Is so close... If you don't stop... I'm... I'm...!" Alfred arched his back into Matthew as he released himself inside the younger man's mouth.

Matthew smiled and swallowed Alfred's seed. "Mmm...God...so good..." He picked himself up and slid forward to kiss the older man, thrusting his tongue into his mouth, spreading the remaining seed between both of them.

Then Matthew finally broke the kiss with a gasp, rocking his hips harder against Alfred's thigh. "Mmm...God, Al... Feels so good..." He grabbed the older man's shirt in both hands, pulling it open, for once not caring about the buttons. He shoved it off Alfred's shoulders and just pressed his face into the hair on his chest, rubbing his cheek against it.

Matthew moaned lowly as he felt the rough hair scrape across his cheek, then he turned his face to rub his other cheek against it. "Oh, Alfred...you feel so good...so very good... I...oh god...mmm..." He leaned up to kiss Alfred again as he picked up his pace, humping and thrusting frantically against Alfred's leg. "Oh, Al, yes... Please, yes... Make me shoot, Al..."

Alfred reached his hand out and gently rubbed the boy's back. "Come on, Matt. You can do it. I want to see your seed, Matt..."

Matthew latched onto one of Alfred's nipples and have it a hard suck as he thrust one last time, releasing his seed inside his union suit. Then he finally released the nipple and sagged against Alfred's chest, still using one hand to play with his chest hair. "God, Al, that was wonderful... Best...best ever...in...in ever."

Alfred leaned down to kiss Matthew, still grinning. "C'mon, Matt. Gotta...gotta finish the fire...firepyre...something... Then...then we can sheep...shleep..."

Matthew made a contented noise and crawled up into Alfred's lap, kissing along his neck, enjoying the feeling of skin on skin. He felt the Adam's apple bob under his lips as Alfred had another drink. Then he pressed his nose up against Alfred's jaw where it met his neck. "I...I have another present for you, Al... I was going to...give it earlier, but then...then this. Here..." He ran one hand down Alfred's side and tugged the handkerchief out of the older man's pocket, holding it out to him. "Here. Present. Happy birthday. Al."

Al looked down at the package, frowning. "You... Wher'd you get thisfrom?"

Matthew pulled away to grin at the older man, carefully touching a finger to his nose. "It was in your pocket. Al." Then he chuckled softly. "Al...like that name. Al Al Al."

Alfred grinned and opened the package. "Matt...are...ar'you magic or...or somethin? Hey...do nother trick, Matt!"

Matthew chuckled again and slipped his hand into his pocket, palming a penny. Then he kissed the older man briefly and moved his hand up to his ear. "Okay. Ready, Al? And..." He pretended to fish around behind Al's ear, then flourished the penny between their face. "And there. Penny." Then he stopped and giggled for a moments. "Penny... Penny for your thoughts..."

Alfred just took the penny and stared at it with wide eyes. "Ohgod, Matt. You...yer amazing. You...ar'you some kinda...kinda fairy...something?"

Matthew chuckled and pressed his cheek up against Alfred's chest again. "Yeah...yeah, Al, I'm a fairy...and I live here and do chores all...every day..."

Alfred's eyes just seemed to get wider. "Oh...ohman...I...I know wha'you are! Yer...yer one of those...those brownings...brownles...brownies! Yer a brownie! Jus...jus'like Arf...Arfer used to talk about..." Then he stopped for a moment, focusing on nothing in particular and giggled. "Arfer...cause...cause he barked like a...adog..."

Matthew just tucked his knees up to his chest, still snugged tight against Alfred's chest. "Yeah, Al... Yeah... I'm a brownie..." He closed his eyes and felt his mind start to drift away as he lost himself in the warmth and the softness. "An...and you're...Paul...Bunyan..."


End file.
